The Legend of Rose Hexfury
by jjjhexfury
Summary: Rose Hexfury, the half-sister of Jack Sparrow, pupil of Tia Dalma, and daughter of Captain Teague, was but a footnote in the story of the renowned "Pirates of the Caribbean" during the mid-1700's. This is her untold story; all the times you never saw her, all the interactions she had with the characters you remember, and the impact you never knew she made. Covers all five films.
1. Prologue, Part 1

"That's alright. Read it again, Rose," her mother murmured gently.

Rose cleared her throat and looked at her mother's perfect handwriting on the piece of parchment that sat in her lap.

 _"Thine sea of beauty, is without l-limit,  
_ _Stre-strea-streaching forth eternally.  
_ _'Till darkness raises from the deaths,  
_ _'Tis shimmering for thee."_

Her mother gracefully cocked her head to one side, casting an imaginative look upwards."What is death?" she asked calmly.

Rose hesitated. _Does she mean for me to answer? Isn't it obvious what death is? Oh no… is this a lecture?_ She finally responded, "Death is… when something loses life and spirit forever and cannot live."

" _'_ _Till darkness raises from the deaths…_ wasn't that what you read?"

Confused, Rose took another look at the parchment.

"Argghhh," she growled, adjusting the green bandana tied around the top of her head. "It's DEPTHS, not DEATHS! I'm awful! I hate reading!"

"You did just fine," her mother said reassuringly. "Just next time do better!" Laughing, she stood up from the grass they sat upon and turned towards the sun.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Rose!" she exclaimed. "Quick! Stand up and look!"

Leaping to her feet, Rose followed her gaze.

"What? All I see is the sunset!" she said.

"Exactly!" her mother whispered, voice growing with rising intensity. "Seldom times, one can spot a green flash along the horizon. You remember when I told you that there are those who can travel between the worlds?"

Rose nodded.

"Well, the flash of green indicates when a soul enters the Land of the Living from the Land of the Dead!"

Rose beamed. "Do you think we'll see it tonight, Maman?"

Anna squeezed her daughter's shoulders. "Let's wait and see…"

They both fell silent and stared ahead into the sky. As the final speck of the sun sank below the waves, Rose took in a shallow breath, her pulse increasing. She blinked when a spectacle of green light briefly glowed over the water.

Beaming, she looked up at her mother. Her beautiful face smiled down at her daughter, her raven hair playing with the wind. "Let's catch up with the others!" she said faintly.

 _Please,_ Rose begged as they walked together, _If you're listening, if you can hear me at all, you will not wake me. Please. This was when I was happy. This was before. Don't wake me. Please don't wake me!_

As if in cruel response, her dreams fired a single gunshot. Her mother's warm figure slowly disappeared, and Rose was faced with brutal memories flashing past her. Tears ran down her cheeks at an alarmingly fast rate. As she broke into a frightened sob, she awoke.

Rose sat straight up to find herself covered in sweat from head to toe, shaking and sobbing on a hard, wooden floor. She had woken up from the dream that began so carefree and jubilant, then turned so drastically morbid and horrible. Placing one hand on her forehead, she continued to cry, though the shackles that confined her clanked against the ground with every shake of her shoulders. What had happened to her wasn't fair. What was to become of her would _never_ be fair.

But suddenly, her tears ceased. She sat straight upwards once more, this time more steadily. She could not show weakness here. She had to be strong…for her mother.

It had been a whole year since her mother's death, and no one, no matter how mystical or powerful, could reverse time to change that fact.

A voice stirred her from her thoughts. "'Allo?"

Rose gasped. She should have known her commotion in the middle of the night would wake the other prisoners. She held her breath and begged for the voice to forget about her and go back to sleep.

The voice was closer. "Was that you crying?"

 _Go away,_ Rose prayed. _Just go away and leave me be..._

The person was right next to her now, his shackles pulled across the length of the room. "It's alright," he said. "You don't have to be afraid. My name's Jack."

 _Jack Sparrow._

* * *

The lead character of this account is named Rose Hexfury. An eccentric name, and not her birth name, but it's what she goes by.

You have never heard of her.

Her name is but a footnote in the lives of others, and she prefers to keep it that way. Her story is unknown up to now, but her involvement with piracy during the middle eighteenth century is not. As of yet, these stories have developed into legends that are known only to you if you are reading this written ledger. This is the story of the pirates that sailed the Caribbean. In many ways, it was a rewarding life. Dangerous, volatile, adventurous, daring, and promising. Rose Hexfury merely stood at the helm, watching it unfold and trying to keep the ones she loved safe. You all know the story I am about to tell, just perhaps you never saw her there. Perhaps you never saw the girl in the shadows.

Now you might be curious as to who I am, and what credibility I have to tell this overlooked saga. My story comes into play at the end of this detailed account, and the end of this miraculous life. My voice in this matter is unimportant; I merely strive to tell Rose's.

Life as a woman during this time was a difficult one. Not much awaited them on the deck of a pirate ship but misery and maltreatment. Many sailors considered women a curse to have onboard, and onshore they were only used as barmaids or for the purposes of keeping lonesome sailors company in the night. Occasionally, a good girl and an honest sailor could build a family, but under the colors of a pirate flag, but no one ever stayed "good" for long. Pirates sailed the seas the world over, and not only just in the Caribbean. They sacked villages, wallowed in a rum-induced stupor, plundered merchant vessels, stole, hid treasure, stole someone else's hidden treasure, drank in taverns, brawled in taverns, and were above all else, the greatest destructors of their time. They controlled the sea. I have heard many times that all men desire to control the sea, so, by this logic, what was there to lose? A pirate could live his dream on the open ocean, live for some minor work, and gain all the glories of sacking a town or a ship or a merchant. The only things at risk at the time Rose was born were getting caught, getting robbed, or getting killed. Even the sins associated with piracy were of no merit, because these men were living in heaven each day they awoke in the morning. There were jolly pirates, cutthroat pirates, cunning pirates, drunkard pirates, and then there was Rose's father, who seemed an entity of his own.

But I digress from my original point of the role of women in this piratical society. As you know from perhaps, the revered pirate lord Captain Elizabeth Swann or the cunning Angelica Teach, in order to get even a shilling of what you wanted from the life of a pirate, you needed to be sharp, fierce, intelligent, and tough. I hate to disappoint you readers, but Rose possessed none of these traits en masse like the two aforementioned ladies. Rose had to learn to survive, whilst these other two seemed to be born with the skills necessary to control their own destinies. Perhaps that was why Rose was more suited to the life her mother Anna led—the life of a gypsy.


	2. Chapter 1 - Gypsies

Rose was French. She was born in France. her and her gypsy clan lived all along the western coast of France, trading with international merchant vessels and pirates alike. Her mother's name was Anna, and they were from a prominent and large-sized group that traversed the countryside, making their way of life through both honest and dishonest means. Their gypsy train, while nomadic like other gypsies throughout Europe, had primarily made camp in the Bretagne region, though they never stayed in one place for long. Gypsies had been ordered for expulsion from France and many neighboring nations nearly two centuries prior, which meant the ultimate end to the gypsy way of life. Gypsies who were caught were imprisoned, executed, deported, or even enslaved. However, the laws had started to fall out of effect as time passed, and the gypsies returned gradually to their old haunts.

Anna was from a long line of gypsies that had branched out from the Pyrenees mountains. The men set up trade in the main town center while the women were in charge of bringing customers into their camp, as well as keeping home. They would entertain and feed the guests, and sometimes tell fortunes. Anna, however, was the _best_ at telling fortunes. What gypsies did were no worse than pirates. They stole. What Anna did was not real. She could not tell the future. But she _could_ manage to put them in a deep enough trance while she picked their pockets, searching for valuables. The women were cunning, able to steal coin purses, watches, jewelry, and more while the men on dock traded cheap goods for more money than their item was ever worth. Rose grew up in this community—cutthroat and stealthy in its own way, but still fostering a family environment. There were about two dozen of them, and all of them felt protected and loved. Perhaps Anna was the most beloved. She was beautiful. She had gorgeous raven curls that fell down her back, and, as sure as the sun, _purple_ eyes. Her hands were adorned with rings she had pawned and along her hip was a belt complete with tokens she had found. Every item she owned was kept on her person at all times. The gypsies used her beauty to their advantage. The men were intoxicated by her handsome features and women were eager to believe her false fortune telling. No one could say no to her. And by the time her customers left her wagon, so bewitched by her were they that it would be days before they realized what had been stolen from them and by that time, the train had moved on to another area. They called her, _La Belle Violet_ , The Violet Beauty. The head counsel of elders in the clan decided that she could earn a better profit if she provided company to men, but Anna would have none of it. She was proud, and virtuous and... odd. She, of course, was sociable with her family, and needed social qualities in order to pull off a job, but she preferred to be on her own. She stole for the sake of the family but never valued material objects herself. She could often be found on a bluff overlooking the ocean, a logging journal in her lap and an ink pen in her left hand. Perhaps she wasn't the best mother. Perhaps she drank and stole and swindled, but she was wonderful and remained ever wonderful in Rose's eyes because of the simple fact that she _was_ her mother.

One man changed Anna though. He changed her because he himself was different and obscure. Not only was he a pirate, but a pirate captain. He made port in France to restock supplies. As expected, the gypsies were waiting to swindle his crew at the dock. At first, orders from the first mate were for the crew to keep moving, but the gypsy men of the clan were wiser. They often anticipated when large vessels, resupplying at the town's docks, contained eager sailors, or in this case, insatiable pirates. So, they brought some of the women along to lead them into camp. Anna waited outside her wagon, watching the commotion as their party was increased by double. The sailors drank and sang and danced around the fire, fully embracing the gypsy culture in their drunken stupor and oblivious to the five men rifling through their belongings. Now pirates were another matter entirely. As the night progressed, Anna knew that in a matter of hours, the caravan train would be on their way, making great haste between them and the unconscious pirates. For as soon as a single fellow raised an alarm about being robbed, every gypsy's life was in grave danger. It had happened before, and it certainly could happen again.

Anna pretended to be happy and merry with the others, but still watched carefully for any pirate who came close to examining his personal effects. A friendly smile sparkled against the flames of a fire and caught her eye. It came from her younger sister, Desiree, who as she passed by Anna, held out a hand towards her, motioning her to join the circle dancing around the heat of the fire. Anna gave a half-hearted smile in response, shaking her head. Anna never danced. She was pensive, not merry. A hollering ruffian took Desiree's hand in place of Anna and swung her around in a rambunctious dance. Desiree shot an exasperated glance back at Anna, who had the chance to share a laugh with her before she disappeared out of her sight behind the crowd.

Just then, something caught the corner of her eye; A short, bearded pirate was stumbling back to his belt containing a coin pouch he had abandoned by a nearby tree. She had diverted her attention for but a few seconds and this man, even though in a drunken stupor, could mean the difference between life and death for her family. As he reached out for his belongings, muttering a simple song to himself, Anna broke into a run to stop him. She quickly put on a charming smile and darted between him and the items.

" _Bonjour, monsieur_. If I could, perhaps, lead you this way?" she sang.

"Er...no madimozel! Methinks it's time to return to...uh...the...boat...ship." He was too intoxicated to even think straight. Anna anticipated not much of a fight.

"Of course monsieur, but I will accompany you to where the others are." She shrewdly wrapped her arms around his shoulder to lead him away.

In a flash of a second, Anna was disarmed. The man certainly was intoxicated, but not enough to leave him completely defenseless. He was just as insistent on retrieving his effects as Anna was in leading him away from them. He grabbed her left arm, wrenching it away from his shoulders. "Did ye hear what I said? I said NO!"

He increased pressure on her arm, bending it back toward her with the intentions of breaking it. Anna reached behind her to grab her pistol. If she could just reach it, she could hit him upside the head and knock him unconscious...

Click! Someone had already found their pistol. The man stopped moving, still retaining pressure on Anna's head and arm, but remaining motionless.

"And _she_ told you to join the others," a deep voice growled, engulfed in the shadows behind the tree. Anna turned her head enough to make out the outline of the man's pistol aimed directly at the man's head. This must have been one of her clan coming to her aid, though she did not recognize the voice with it.

"But, sir," the man protested, "This wench 'ere got between me an' my business. For the crew."

The pistol lessened the distance between itself and the knave's forehead. "By my orders, stand down."

The man released Anna. She immediately grabbed her own pistol and aimed as well.

"Now, join the others. Like she said," the voice ordered.

The man nodded eagerly. "Aye captain." _So, not one of my clan_ , Anna thought as she watched the rat-like creature scurry away towards the fire.

Before she had the chance to thank her savior, she turned nearly into the chest of a tall and foreboding man, the owner of the pistol that had save her life, who had stepped toward her fully into the light.

"I have watched all of you and I know what you are," said he, sternly.

She was unarmed against his piercing black eyes that seemed to slice through her. Usually quick on her feet, she was suddenly rendered speechless. He continued, his voice an unsettling mixture of both stoicism and violence. "I have seen the teamwork involved here. The women distract while the men steal the goods. Though you don't seem to play a role. Why is that?"

She swallowed, glancing toward the fire. They were all a good ten yards away, far enough that no one could come to her aid without Anna causing a scene and creating widespread panic. She had no choice but to answer. "I should say the same to you." In retrospect, a comment like this could have resulted in her immediate death. However, this man did not want to kill her. He smirked as she continued her point. "I have not seen you amongst the rest of your crew tonight."

He stared at her for a moment. "I don't dance."

"Do you not drink?"

"Oh no, I drink," he quickly corrected. "I am the ship's captain."

A captain! This presented Anna with an opportunity to perhaps steal more goods for the sake of her people… She immediately turned on her charm again. "And are ship captain's not permitted to dance?"

Unfortunately for Anna, this captain could see right through her game and retaliated. "No, but they are permitted to supervise their crew while they are being swindled."

Now Anna was beginning to get frustrated. "If you saw what we were doing then why did you not protect your crew, _mon capitan?"_ She huffily turned her back on him and began to walk back towards her wagon.

He called after her and closely followed her. "A sort of punishment. A lesson to be learned perhaps."

She spun around to face him. "And what lesson would that be? Never trust a gypsy?"

"Not necessarily. One should never trust a pirate either." They shared a look. "No, the lesson is to never act without the consent of one's captain, because you often are inclined to do moronic things. Especially when you have been at sea for months on end."

She swallowed, considering her options. Soon, she had concocted her next move. She put on a seductive smile and approached him, wrapping her arms around him. He did not even seem phased by her unpredictable nature.

"Perhaps then, you could do us all a favor and call your crew back to your ship before they have a chance to learn their lesson without you?" she asked. A seductive tone infiltrated her carefully chosen words as she drew her face closer to his. He had high cheekbones, long dark hair tied back with a bandana. Like her, he was adorned in various trinkets, and all of his effects were on his person.

"I intend to," he whispered back at her.

She smirked. "How can I expect you to keep your word? You just told me to never trust a pirate."

Their lips drew close. Closer. Closer still. The captain did not even flinch. Finally, Anna was the one to pull away and she smiled. "But I have a feeling I could trust you." She started to walk away from him towards the fire, thoroughly pleased with herself.

"Too bad I cannot trust a gypsy," he said. This made her stop dead. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking the necklace back." Her face fell and the pit of her stomach swelled with fury as she yanked the mother of pearl pendant from her pocket. She turned back to him and shoved it into his chest. This was the only man who had ever predicted her tricks.

"Keep it," she said bitterly. "Not worth my time anyway."

"You sure?" he asked, cleaning it off with his shirtsleeve. "Its a part of a two part pendent from oysters in Indonesia."

She threw him a skeptical look. "Isn't one piece incomplete without the other?"

"Perhaps it represents being a half of a whole."

She smiled although she was utterly bewildered by this mysterious fellow and his nature.

He put the pendant back in his jacket pocket. "See here," he said. "I know the most certain way the men will not even notice that their effects have been taken. You and I will pack their coats and weapons back to my ship using one of these wagons. When I return to retrieve them, I will inform them that their things are all aboard, and they will not even know that they have been robbed until we are safely headed from shore."

This man was an enigma. "Why are you so willing to help me?" she asked.

"I've already told you," said he. "A good captain must teach by example—"

She cut him off. "No, you are helping _me._ Why?"

He merely stared directly at her. "Perhaps I see something in you I do not see in your brethren. Perhaps I see a little of myself in you."

Above all else, Anna was a romantic. She had heard tales of love and romance and had dreams of running away with someone who truly loved her. So it was only natural that she throw caution to the wind and follow this man, just in case he was worthy of her heart. He quietly loaded the items into her wagon, while Anna readied and tethered her horse. Together, they rounded the hill that led to the dock.

"What is your name?" he called out to her.

"Anna! And yours?"

"Edward."

"From where do you hail, Edward? England?"

"My primary business is in the Caribbean."

"Isn't that far?"

"Nowhere is far away when you sail the seas long enough."

They were now briskly walking along the dock. "There she is," Edward said. "The _Misty Lady_."

Anna had seen more elaborate ships than that in her lifetime, but she politely feigned interest in it. They pulled the wagon nearby the ship and threw the effects unceremoniously into the brig whilst Edward gave Anna a tour of the ship. The moon was bright that night, the sort of bright that illuminates the darkness of the night without being full. Anna barely paid attention to what Edward was saying. She was entranced by the mere illusion of him. She lived and worked in a business based on lies, and she thought it incredible that somehow these two masters of lies could see directly through each other's false pretenses. Edward was not her perfect match—she was a pirate of land while he was a pirate on the sea. He was older than she and not as handsome as she. But it was their spirit that magnetized their souls. She knew not whether what she felt was love or lust, be she also cared not. If she was not in love with him, she was at least in love with the thought of him.

* * *

They were gone for three hours. It was the middle of the night when they finally returned. Desiree was the only one who had noticed Anna's absence and subsequently feared for her life. When Anna finally did return, rounding the hill in the wagon with Edward by her side, Desiree chastised her insolence. But nothing could touch Anna. The two had only spent hours merely talking, but it was undeniable that they had found kindred spirits in each other. Both were remarkably charming and had made a deep connection. Anna wished that she didn't have to leave Edward so soon, but it was the most responsible thing to do.

Most of the sailors and gypsies had been rendered all but unconscious in the grass by the time they returned, and Edward helped to round up his exhausted men and herd them towards the ship. Before heading out, he approached Anna one last time, asking, "May we meet again soon?"

Anna's eyes gleamed as she broke into a wide grin, nodding happily.

Edward continued, "Tell your caravan to relocate to the next port to thee South. We will stay at port and in the morning, I will teach them their lesson and also order them to spend the day restocking the ship. We will have the entire day to ourselves."

"If we move, how will you find me?"

"Let's meet by the tree where we first met this evening," Edward said, beaming from ear to ear. And with a that, their first day together had ended. As she watched him follow his crew to the ship, Anna was so grateful they had one more day, yet at the same time felt the rapidly passing time on their final moments together.


	3. Chapter 2 - Love or Lust

Everything went according to plan. Anna and Desiree, along with several other gypsies lucid enough to work, gathered up the camp and readied the horses. At first dawn, they would depart, making a three hour long trek to the south safely tucked away in an isolated valley. When it came to the dangers of encountering furious customers, gypsies were willing and able to spend a day off of regular work activity and ride out the storm. Desiree covered for Anna as she took her horse and wagon and returned back to the bluff.

The pirates had returned prior to Anna's arrival to threaten the gypsies and regain their valuables, despite Edward's warning not to, as he chastised them for their conduct the previous night. They did not put up much of a search fortunately and soon returned to their restocking duties literally minutes before Anna arrived.

The time went on and the sun rose higher in the sky, and with each passing second, Anna grew increasingly anxious. What was delaying him? Had they been forced to leave early? Or was Edward just using her? Had he perhaps, no intentions to spend the day with her? Each second provided room for yet another doubt, and with each doubt, Anna believed them more and more until soon she was so upset she was tempted to urge her horse back to the clan. Suddenly, a faceless voice interrupted her thoughts.

" _Excusez-moi, mademoiselle?_ " The sound came from behind the cover of the wagon inside of which she sat.

"Oui?" she tentatively replied.

A face to the voice! Edward! Her heart soared. "It says here, painted on your wagon," said he, "That you tell fortunes."

She was beaming. " _C'est vrai, monsieur!_ "

He hoisted himself into the wagon, seating himself at her side. "Could you tell _my_ fortune, _mademoiselle_?"

"Hmmm..." she cooed, peering into his eyes. "I am not working today." She waited until he responded in silent understanding before she hooked him. "But," she said, causing his eyes to glow once more, "I _could_ make an exception…just this once." And this time she leaned in close toward his lips. "For you!" His eyes closed before he came in to kiss her. Anna seized the opportunity and waited until just before the moment of bliss to...leave. She darted to the back of the wagon, leaving him utterly bewildered.

"These things must be done delicately," she said, still beaming. She quickly pulled aside a beaded curtain and placed a flat tray on the wagon's floor at her feet. She pushed aside countless satin pillows that made up the interior of her wagon and made a seating area for herself at the rear of the space. Finally, the finishing touch! A crystal ball that even Edward couldn't help but comment on.

"My what a show you put on, Mademoiselle Anna!"

She let a smile form at the corner of her lips, although she was now trying to remain solemn. "If you please, Monsieur, sit opposite to me."

He obeyed, laughing to himself quietly. She leaned over the crystal ball and grabbed his hands with hers. This was not her usual practice, she mostly just wanted an excuse to hold him. She waited a few moments, and then began. "Your name is Edward."

He laughed. "How did you know?"

"You captain a ship."

"Yes I do."

"You hail from the Caribbean."

"Incredible how you know all this!"

She opened her eyes and released his hands. She now peered into her crystal ball, rubbing it mysteriously. She didn't look up at him, but continued to rub. "I see in your future...a gypsy!"

He leaned in close, looking into the crystal ball as well. "You do? How dreadful!"

"Mmm...it is a gypsy girl!"

" _No!_ " he cried dramatically.

"She is beautiful!"

"Well then I must find her!" he cried out, pounding on the wooden floor dramatically.

She looked up at him, smiling seductively. "I think I know where she might be!"

Their eyes met, unblinking, unafraid. He murmured, "I think do too."

Such was their relationship; unpredictable and _alive_. Neither knew much about the other—where they were born, who their parents were, what they liked and disliked. They just knew that they belonged with each other in that moment, that each of them filled a void, present for even just a moment, in the other's life. Their love was in mid-bloom, but the time that they had left was dwindling hour by hour, minute upon all-too-brief minute.

Hours passed, and the sunset arrived. Conversation had died between them because they both knew what misery the sunset would bring. Anna laid there in his arms, both of them facing the opening of the tent. This wagon was pointed in the direction of the open ocean, with no land visible as far as the eye could see. They watched as the orange glow of the sun shined its final warmth on their faces and began its descent behind the horizon. Anna tightened her grasp around his waist. "It's nearly sunset," she murmured.

He in turn also increased his hold on her and closed his eyes, trying to take in as much of this moment as he could. He wanted to remember this moment with Anna for different reasons than she did. In many ways, this interaction with her was more valuable to him in the recent past than all the riches he had acquired in the year. "You know," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "Have you ever really watched a sunset?"

She furrowed her brow. "I do not really know."

"You would know if you had," he said softly. "You would have seen the green flash."

She looked up at him. "The green flash?"

"It signals when a soul comes back to this world from the dead."

She smiled, wanting to take in every word he said, regardless of whether or not she believed it. "And have you seen it?"

"I think I did. Once. Maybe it will flash for us tonight."

Anna sat up and leaned her head upon his shoulder as they waited in silence. The sun sank lower...lower. As the last beams disappeared behind the distant waves... _flash_.

Anna gasped and sat up with a start. Edward was beaming. They looked at each other with surprise, and then extreme sadness. Edward kissed her again, and then gathered himself and climbed out of the wagon. Anna followed suit, though every step she took towards her final goodbyes weighed heavily upon her.

He turned to her. "Well, I suppose I must—"

"Must you leave?" she blurted, her voice cracking with her increasingly upset state.

He swallowed before speaking, putting a hand to her cheek. "I must."

"When will I see you again?"

He thought carefully. He pulled her into his warm embrace. "I reckon in four or five months time," he said. "If I return around then, would you be waiting for me?"

"Of course," she said. Even if her caravan were halfway across the continent, she would find a way to get back to this spot to see him once more.

Little did she know as he kissed her again that this kiss would their last. Little did she know that the emotions they felt today would never be felt again free from the ties of worry and fear. Little did she know what their brief encounter had created...little did she know.


	4. Chapter 3 - Conception, Deception

It took quite some time for Anna to realize what had happened. The caravan had moved inward towards the East at that time, and she had accounted her sudden weight gain for the intense hunger she felt. It was wintertime, the days were colder and food was harder to come by. Hunger was to be expected. But then one day an odd sensation came over he and she intuitively knew that she was pregnant. She was pregnant with Edward's child. She was pregnant with Rose.

Her first emotion was panic. She barely knew Edward, yet she was about to bear his child. A child meant another mouth to feed. How would her family react? She had never seen it firsthand, but what if they decided that Anna and her unborn bastard child had outstayed their usefulness to their community? And what would happen in five months' time when Edward returned? Would he leave her forever, or would he stay and be a father to her child? _Oh please, let it be a boy, so that he may be of some good to his pirate captain father,_ she prayed.

Anna's initial emotions about Rose were less than positive. She stayed locked inside her wagon and cried for fear of what was to come. But then, a sudden emotion overwhelmed Anna the day she first felt her unborn child move inside her. An instinctive emotion Anna was unfamiliar with. A sudden urge to protect another person. Her child would carry her blood in its veins. It might have her eyes, her nose, her ears. What made her fall in love with the aspect of a baby was the thought of who he _might_ be. He might be rich, he might not survive, he might captain his own ship one day, he might follow in her footsteps. There was so much uncertainty in her world, yet the one certainty Anna held onto was the one certainty she _knew:_ that whoever was inside her _would_ be her child. No one else could lay claim to him except herself and Edward.

Anna had a choice, to face her fears and take responsibility for her unexpected pregnancy or starve. She spoke with the higher counsel. They were, of course, concerned about adding another living soul to their already large clan, but could not afford to lose Anna, who still remained their largest form of income. Anna was safe with the gypsies. Anna's final stipulation was that before the end of the summer, the caravan would head back to the port where she and Edward had first met. They agreed. Anna would not only be in time to tell Edward her incredible news, but she would be _early._

The time was right and the weather was warmer. Every day Anna waited for Edward to return. She tried not to get herself into a panicked state of mind over his return, or potential lack thereof, but the thought of his reaction to their child plagued her with every day the baby grew stronger inside her.

While Anna had been early to their meeting place, Edward was late. He was late by a week. And Anna tore herself up every day he failed to show himself. Finally one day, a man from her clan ran from the docks. Anna heard his cries from inside her wagon. "Desiree! Tell Anna the _Misty Lady_ has returned!" Before Desiree could give word to Anna, she was already standing outside her wagon ready to greet him.

She watched, heart racing, as he climbed up the path to their camp. He looked up and instantly locked eyes with her. She beamed. He looked weary, but happy to see her. Then...disaster. He looked down and noticed her protruding belly. His face fell and he stopped walking. As soon as Anna noticed this less than positive reaction, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She instead started to walk briskly toward him, hand on her stomach as she approached.

"Edward," she began warmly.

He started first. "Anna, you...Anna..." It was as though he could not comprehend what he was seeing. It was comparable to the feeling when one is walking in the dark down familiar terrain when an unfamiliarity occurs, and your entire world is shaken. Suddenly, you have no idea where you are, because everything has been thrown into tumultuous nonsense. This is only what I can assume Edward must have felt when he saw Anna heavily pregnant. All he knew was that he had gone away, and when he returned, what he expected to find was gone and would never return to the way it was.

"Edward," Anna cooed gently. "Aren't you happy to see me?" She was desperate. She had to fight to urge to blurt out every insecurity she felt from his reaction to her.

"Anna..." He couldn't stop saying her name, as though by repeating it, time could reverse. "You..."

"Yes, I'm pregnant, Edward." She said it straight out. Her heart was about to burst it pounded so hard.

He couldn't look at her. He was silent for an unbearably lengthy amount of time. Anna was about to speak in his place, when he suddenly muttered, nearly inaudibly, "Whose?"

This single utterance shook Anna to her core. This was how little he knew her. He did not know that she was not the kind to fly from man to man. The man who had fathered her child didn't even trust her.

She flared with anger. "Whose? Edward, my love, it can only be yours!"

Now, from what I have heard, I know Edward did not respond well to this news, but the stories were vague on how exactly he reacted. Now knowing him, I can honestly say I know _precisely_ what he experienced. He felt as though he had just received a blow to the chest. He stumbled backwards and put his hands to his forehead, mouth agape.

Anna rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him. "No, no my love. Please do not act this way! Please! I had no way to find you and tell you! It will be alright! I will raise the child! I promise you, we will be alright!"

For the first time, Anna heard Edward raise his voice to her. And it scared her to death. "YES _you_ will be alright! You and the child! But what of _me?_ I now have a responsibility to someone who I won't even KNOW!" He stumbled away, out of breath and leaning against the tree where they had first met.

"Won't know?" Anna cried. "WON'T KNOW? Who is to say you won't know him?"

"Anna, come now! You don't expect me to stay and play family with you! I belong on the _sea_. I cannot remain with your kind!"

"So our child is not worthy to be with his father? Is that what you are saying?"

"I...I don't know! I don't KNOW, Anna!"

Anna was hysterical. She clutched her stomach ruefully. Edward stayed still, watching her uncertainly.

She finally brought herself to words. "Would...would you have taken away a single moment we had at the cost of this baby?"

His silence answered her question before he said it; "Yes. Probably."

She felt so betrayed. How could he say such a thing? How could he question the passion they shared?

"I have something to tell you, Anna."

 _No. No!_ She knew what was about to come next would deliver the final death blow to their love.

"I'm married. I already have a son. He's seven years old." Fresh tears ran down Anna's cheeks as she sank to her knees. Edward knelt in the grass in front of her. "When we met, it had been over a year since I had seen them, and I hadn't left my wife on good terms."

"So I was your whore?" Anna spat.

"Lord no!" he knelt next to her and tried dried to dry her tears. He pulled her face inward to him, and cradled her head against his shoulder. There they sat, against that tree, for the rest of the afternoon.

Wordlessly, they watched the sun set, but there was no green flash that night. They both silently deflated at this, as though nature itself had sent word that this relationship was never meant to last.

As night fell, Edward said the last words he would ever say to Anna; "I love you, Anna. And I'm sure your child will be a fine one."

 _Our child_ , Anna thought, but there was nothing she could say. She fell asleep in his arms like there, and when she awoke the next morning, a single, white rose sat in his place, with the mother of pearl pendant Anna had originally stolen from him, wrapped around the stem.

A few months later, Anna gave birth to her baby. The birth was not particularly noteworthy, as the child came into the world without much pomp or drama.

Anna asked her sister what the sex was. She began to cry when she heard it was a girl. _Worthless. A boy could have gone with him. Now I am saddled with this… a constant reminder of him._

It took Anna two weeks to name the baby. This was mostly because Desiree and the other women took care of her. They were afraid Anna would hurt the child, as she fell into a dark state of depression. But one day, Anna entered the tent where her daughter was being cared for, peered into her child's makeshift crib, and smiled.

"I'll name her Rose," she said, holding dead, dried white petals in her palm. "I'll name her after her father's first, last, and only gift to her.


	5. Chapter 4 - Rose

From then on, Anna was fine in handling her baby, though she was hardly responsible for raising her. Anna still wished more than anything to return to her quality of life before she met Edward; flirtatious, wild, and alone. She only spent time with Rose when she felt keen to, which was not often. The clan themselves truly raised the child.

Rose grew up happily, regardless of never really having a single mother or father figure in her life, and her large family was charmed and delighted in raising her. She had the raven hair of her mother, and was consistently joyful, nor caused too much trouble. In fact, the biggest tragedy the gypsies felt toward the girl was the fact that she had not inherited her mother's striking violet eyes, but instead her father's nearly black ones. Another tragedy was that Rose had a crippling disability. She had what was known as night blindness. She couldn't see at all in times of total darkness or low light, which made it all the more vital that the gypsies keep her close by after sunset, lest they lose her forever.

The gypsies all were keen to teach her. Desiree took the most responsibility, teaching the girl the essentials of living. Some of the men would take her down to the docks to teach her how to fish and to make her more sociable, also coupling their lessons with charming vulnerable female customers. Some taught her to sew, weave, cook, forage, trade...but Anna reserved the right to teach her daughter English and how to read and write. Anna was one of two gypsies in the clan who could read and write both in French and English. "If she can read and speak English, she can get along anywhere," Anna said.

So lessons with Rose began when she was five. Rose found them unbelievably difficult to learn and retain, but they quickly became her favorite times of the day because she was eager to please her hard to please mother. For three years, these lessons persisted, and Rose was excelling rapidly, when one day, disaster struck.

A gunshot was fired inside Anna's tent, while Rose was down playing by the docks. Rose had heard the shot, but thought nothing of it and continued in her childlike bliss. It wasn't until hours later that someone from the clan came to fetch her, and led the worried child up to the bluff, where her family held silent vigil over the body of her dead mother.

A man had come to Anna's tent. He was a frequent customer, and had perused the gypsy life for a few weeks now. But that day, he entered the tent to make a statement. He shot Anna, and dragged her lifeless corpse out of the caravan and yelled to the gypsies that he was an official of the King's, and that all gypsies had to relocate from the country at once if they did not want to end up like their fallen comrade. He left before the men had returned from the docks, startled by the noise.

And that was it. Nothing noteworthy or dramatic. Anna was simply...gone. Rose had lost her mother without fully feeling the approval she so desperately desired.

Anna was buried on the bluff by the tree that she so loved and had shared with Edward. Her caravan was burned, which was perhaps the thing Rose was the most heartbroken over, as it seemed that everything that ever reminded her of her mother was inside that confinement, the warmth that she treasured so dear each night beside her.

The night they buried Anna, the chief elder and Anna's father, Loiza gave Rose a gift. A single, mother of pearl pendant. Anna never wore it, and had given it to the chief counsel to give to Rose when she was old enough. "A gift from your father," he had said. Rose pondered who that man might be. No one, not even Anna herself, had mentioned him but in passing. All she knew was that he was a pirate, and that for some reason, he never wanted to see her.

The gypsies argued for some time on how to respond to the threat the government had presented them with. Some said they should stay and fight, while others opted to obey and move south to Spain. The final consensus was to pack and move, lest more of their already small clan perish in the fighting.

They had not moved fast enough, however. For in two weeks time, French officials were waiting at the border to arrest the clan.

Gypsies are weak when separated. The French knew this, and split the group in half, taking them away in separate prison carts. Rose was, thankfully, in the group with Desiree, but as it was night when they attacked, she could not see anything and had no idea what was transpiring.

When Desiree found her, they clung to each other.

"What's happened?" Rose asked her.

She could tell her aunt was crying. "The bad men took them away...all of them."

"Who's left?"

"We are, _ma cherie_ , we are."

They took one cart away into the mountains, while the cart Desiree and Rose were captive aboard stayed close to the coast. They arrived at a coast city Rose did not recognize, and were one by one filed out, standing before a jeering crowd on a wooden platform. They had separated the men in the gypsy from women, and this particular crowd consisted of buyers for merchant ships and housework. In this particular case, the buyers were at a women's auction and would be searching for house labor.

That was when Desiree and Rose were separated. An armed official pried their hands apart, shoving Rose to the left and leading Desiree to the right.

"Rose?" yelled Desiree. "ROSE! No! Unhand me!" she cried, her fighting to avail against the guard.

"Desiree!" Rose screamed, running back to her, but a man stepped in between them and forced the child to turn back, pushing her into a pen with about a dozen other girls her age, most crying, all frightened. Rose craned her neck around the man who had put her here, just in time to see her aunt's hand stretch out to her, then disappear in a crowd.

That was the last time Rose and Desiree ever saw each other.

As quickly as Rose had entered the enclosure, she left, for a burly, hairy man approached the cage and pointed to six girls, including Rose. Those girls were led out and tied together, heading towards the shoreline. Rose overheard the man say to an armed guard, "Aye, the sugar plantations in the Caribbean need small hands to do the work well!"

The Caribbean? But that was so far away! She would being separated by an ocean from her family. She knew it was hopeless to ever find them again. Rose began to sob bitterly, when the horrible man shoved her, commanding her to cease her noise.

The whimpering girls were led to the docks, where a great big merchant ship loomed before them. They were made to ascend the gangplank, and Rose noted that this was the first ship she had ever sailed on. She watched the commotion as man by man passed, rolling barrels, hoisting ropes, tying knots, and carrying crates passed by, all speaking a language she did not understand.

All of a sudden, her world was shrouded in darkness, as the girls were lead under the deck into the brig. Rose became completely blind, but could tell by the sound and stench that somewhere around fifteen other children were being held, not counting Rose and her party. Rose was pushed around side, not one crewman understanding that she could not see at all, and soon her wrists were bound to a chain, and she was a prisoner.

Rose struggled to sit to the floor and began to cry softly again. Twelve years old, and completely alone.

Now, do not despair, readers. While this was a very tragic time for Rose, I assure you, her life because of the strange coincidence I am about to relate to you becomes all the more rich because of the tragedy she has just endured.


	6. Chapter 5 - Jack

Rose could not tell in the darkness about who exactly was in the brig with her. Certain voices sounded deeper than others, so she assumed young people of all ages were being kept here.

The ship started to move that afternoon, sending crates in the brig flying across the room from side to side. Was Rose not sitting, she would have become dreadfully sick, but instead leaned her head against the wood, closed her eyes, and tried to go to sleep.

When she did finally doze off, she had the nightmare regarding her mother described in the beginning of this ledger. She awoke with a start, sobbing. She heard the clinks and clanks of chains as a body approached her. She begged for him to just leave her alone, but he was determined.

"Hello," he had said. "It's alright. You don't have to be afraid. My name's Jack!"

Rose turned her head towards where he voice was coming from, but said nothing.

"Do you speak English?" the voice named Jack asked.

She gulped, but still chose to remain silent, hoping still that he would go away.

Instead, he sat next to her. "Well, I s'pose _that's_ a 'no.'" He paused, and Rose almost thought he had given up when he asked, "How old are you?"

She said nothing.

"Oh, right," said Jack. "Forgot...bout the whole...language thing. Hmm. Well...this is uncomfortable."

Rose settled back into her spot again, and kept her eyes straight ahead. As she couldn't see, she couldn't tell that he was waving his hand in front of her face. "Oi?" he said. "Can you not see?"

Rose turned to where his voice was coming from. "Not in the dark," she said softly.

"Ah! So she does speak! I was beginning to think you were deaf as well, and then I _really_ would have felt bad."

Rose was uncertain what to make of this Jack fellow, and turned back to her corner.

"How old are you?" Jack asked again. "I'll keep askin' until you answer me. How old are you?"

"Twelve," Rose murmured. She supposed the polite thing to do would be to ask his age. "How old are you?" she asked.

"Just a little older," he replied merrily. "Twenty."

Rose furrowed her brow. "Why are you so...happy?"

He laughed. "Why are _you_ so miserable?"

She started to cry again. "Because...my family...they're all gone and my mother—"

"Hey, now," Jack said, reaching out and touching her shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you. You shouldn't be so gloomy. That's why I came over here at all."

"Why?"

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Because we're getting out of here!"

Rose gasped, "How?"

Jack responded, "Magic!"

"I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"There's no such thing."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, lass. I have seen some amazing things! Things that you'll never believe! But I have a bit o' magic in me, and I have people coming to save us!"

"When?"

"Soon. And you can go back home and find your family!"

Rose was crestfallen. "But I can't," she said. "They separated all of us."

Jack sighed, then drew a more somber note. "I know," he said. "They're unbelievably horrible that way. You were a gypsy, weren't you?"

She nodded.

"Then we're the same. I'm a pirate!"

Rose's eyes widened. "A pirate? Then you _do_ have friends!"

He grinned. "Every word's the truth, love!"

"But," Rose said sadly, "I don't have friends. I won't know how to get back."

"Well consider that you have a friend now. And when we get rescued, you'll all go straight to Tortuga. And you can go anywhere from Tortuga!"

"Tortuga?"

"A pirate island that has everything you can think of!"

"But when will we get rescued?"

"Don't you fret. It will be any day now."

Rose settled back down, next to her new friend Jack, mind aflutter. She wanted to believe his story, but how could it be true?

"Hey," Jack said just before she went back to sleep. "What's your name?"

"Rose.

"Nice to meet you, Rose."

* * *

The following weeks brought chaos. The little amount of light provided by the day still caused Rose to be totally blind in the holding bay. It was hurricane season, and the tiny ship was just on the outskirts of the tremendous storm, which sent water splashing from above to the brig below. The children were soggy and hungry, but they took the opportunity to collect the rainwater and drank it. Also with the morning came food, which presented itself in one of the later mornings during the voyage in the form of a hard cracker. The sailor in charge of feeding them simply tossed it in, leaving the starving children scrambling and fighting over who got what.

"Oi! Enough enough enough!" Jack yelled, breaking up the fight. The children's noise suddenly ceased, and they were attentive on Jack. "Listen up, all of you! We have to be civil, and _share_ nicely! What's become of the lot of ye? Manners, my people! Now, I'll take this," Rose heard the crack of the bread break into several pieces, and Jack dispersed the lot to each child, and all was at peace. "Now may we _please_ have some decorum?"

Rose's heart sank when she realized that Jack had forgotten her. But just then, a weight fell onto her lap. She reached for it, and happily realized that Jack had delivered after all. He sat next to her again, chewing on a piece of his own.

"We got the largest bits," Jack whispered, "But don't tell anyone."

Rose smiled, and ate happily, although it was the most chalky thing she had ever eaten in her life.

"So tell me, Rose," Jack said between bites. "How did you get to be in such a place as this?"

Rose looked down at her lap, growing sullen. "Do you not wish to talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Well," he said. "Let me tell you about myself then. I've been just about everywhere and done everything..."

Rose perked up. "Where have you been?"

She could feel Jack smile. "Name a place."

"France?"

"That's where you're from?"

She nodded.

"Well I've been there. I've been just about everywhere, but me specialty is the Caribbean. Seen great big sea monsters, and terrible, ghastly pirates, and mermaids—"

"Mermaids?" Rose asked. She had heard about mermaids from stories, but could never fathom actually seeing one.

"Let me tell you," Jack said, "They are as pretty as everyone says, but don't ever listen to them sing. They'll make you insane!"

The afternoon passed like that and swelled into evening. Rose was at peace just listening to Jack's incredible tales, not even bargaining with herself on whether or not to believe them, though, miraculously, they were all true. They took her on his adventures in her mind, and that made her all the brighter.

That night, when Rose began to get tired, he ended one of his tales early to allow the child to get the rest she so desperately needed. He let her lean up against him and fall asleep on his shoulder.

Just when he thought she was out cold, she sleepily asked, "Are your friends here yet?"

"Not yet," he said quietly.

 _Oh please,_ he prayed. _Get here soon._

* * *

The next morning was when Jack saw Rose's pendant. The daylight had broken through the clouds, allowing Jack to see the necklace more clearly.

He froze. "What's that?" he asked her.

"What?"

"That necklace. Where did you get it?"

Rose touched the pendent, and her face fell once more. "My mother gave it to me."

Jack turned to the child, trying not to push too hard and hide the urgency with which he spoke. "Yes but where did _she_ get it?"

Rose looked toward him. "My father."

It was a long time before Jack spoke again. "And...where is your father?"

"I don't know. He's a pirate, so he could be anywhere."

"What does he look like?"

"I don't know. I have never met him."

"Does he know about you?"

"I don't know! Mama never talked about him much."

"And who is your mother?"

Rose furrowed her brow. "Why do you want to know?"

Jack backed off a little. He was getting too interrogative. "Just...I'm tired of talking about me. I want to get to know you."

This was a sufficient answer for Rose. "Her name was Anna."

"Was?"

Rose shook her head, eyes filling with tears. "A man killed her."

There was a pause, then Jack touched her arm. "I'm so sorry."

Rose swallowed her grief, then continued. "Mama gave this to Loiza to give to me when I was older. He said it came from my father, and is very special because there isn't anything like it."

Jack nodded slowly. "I bet there's not," he said, touching the identical pendant that hung around his belt. "I bet there's not."


	7. Chapter 6 - The Magic

A blast startled the children out of their sleep that night. Some screamed, some questioned it, but Rose whooped with joy.

"The magic?" she asked Jack.

"The magic!" he said. "Oi!" he called to the children, silencing their hysteria. "We're all being rescued!" This caused the room to become aflutter. "But wait! Shh! Hold on! Shut it!" he cried, once again regaining control. "I need you all to stay very quiet! You, Tiny!" he called out to a boy Rose later found out was quite large for his size, "We're going to wait by the port door. They're going to start coming quick because this is where they keep their cannons. When the first man comes down, I'll knock him out with this beam, while you search his pockets for a key. Savvy?"

Just at that moment, frantic footsteps came scrambling down the stairs. Jack silenced everyone, waited for the door to open, then BAM! The children laughed and cheered when Jack knocked him down. The robust child known as Tiny searched for keys, but found none.

But as soon as this failure was discovered, another man was one his way. BAM! Once again, Tiny looked, and a key was discovered. Jack yanked the key out, jiggled it into his shackles, and they released him! The children cheered again, but Jack wasted no time in racing back to Rose to free her. Once he did, he handed the key to Tiny. "You're a good chap, mate. Free yourself and the others, then go hide in the cargo hold. I'll be back for you!" he ordered. He then hoisted Rose up, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, and they were off.

Rose could not tell what was happening, as it was just barely dawn and she still could not see. But her body jolted with Jack's as he swerved to avoid people, kicked and hollered at the other ship. "Oi! Over here! Oi!"

He set Rose down in the corner of the ship and boxed her in, telling her to stay put. He then drew a sword of a passerby and began to fight defensive sailors as they came by. Rose was scared beyond her wits, but was glad she could not see the fight that was occurring. Some things were better left to the imagination. Still, she jumped at every cannon blast, and she searched with her mind's eye for Jack.

Finally, after about what seemed to be a half hour of fighting, the noise died down. Rose's eyesight was beginning to recover, and she could make out silhouettes of what was going on. The main sail of the ship had been ruthlessly marred, and now pirates from the attacking ship were taking ropes and leaping over onto the merchant vessel, going hand to hand with the few last slave ship sailors they could find. These pirates were unlike anything she had ever seen, and instead of being frightened of them, she was intrigued. Her sense of adventure was sparked, and she wished she was big enough to join in the fighting. A large plank was lowered, and a hefty pirate led the children to scurry across it onto the safety of the pirate ship. Rose wondered if she too should flee, but Jack told her specifically not to move.

But just as she started to second guess him, she heard, "Rose! Rose!" she turned to the voice, and saw Jack for the first time. She was uncertain whether or not it truly was him at first, because he looked nothing like what she expected; dark eyes, scruffy hair tied back with a red bandana, unnaturally dark makeup around the eyes, and the beginnings of a beard. He held out his hand to her, which was adorned with a variety of cloth ties and rings. "Rose!" he cried. "It's me, Rose. Come on, let's go!"

Rose took his hand, and he hoisted her up again, grabbing a line. "Don't look down," he yelled, and they soared across the waters and landed haphazardly on the other side. Rose was awestruck at the enormity of this vessel. It was brightly colored and intricate in design and form.

Jack let her go and ran to the helm, cutlass hoisted high above his head. "Retreat men! Back to the ship! Give her another broadside and she'll go down with the tide! Leave no survivors!" They took his orders and blasted the ship again and again until it was riddled with cannon blasts. The ship finally did sink, after this last effort.

The men celebrated on deck after the ship had cascaded into the depths below. Jack went back to Rose. "See?" he told her, breathless. "Magic!"

"Magic!" she cried. "I didn't know you were a pirate captain!"

Jack looked impressed. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I..." His voice trailed off when he realized that no one else on board was speaking. He looked behind him and stared directly ahead at another man. This man was older, but looked similar to Jack in that they had a similar style and a similar way of carrying themselves. This man had long hair that was tied together, the dark makeup poring into the skin around his eyes, his coal black eyes which reminded Rose of someone she knew.

"No survivors?" this man asked Jack. " _No survivors?_ Please tell me that wasn't you that made that decree."

Jack pursed his lips. "It was, _Captain."_

So _this_ was the captain. The Captain pointed out to the sea. "Then what do you call that?"

Jack squinted over the water to where the Captain was referring. On a piece of wreckage, bobbing in the water, was one last sailor, floating on the tide. Jack gulped. "A...floaty...thing?" he replied weakly.

"That 'floaty thing,' is also known as 'a survivor,'" the Captain growled, "And that survivor can float until he hails help from another merchant ship. He then can take back word to his employers about which ship attacked him, and we could have an entire fleet after us within the week." Jack grimaced, as the Captain took his pistol out of its sheath. "Thankfully," he said, aiming the pistol at the survivor, "That won't happen." He pulled the trigger, which caused several of the children to whimper and jump.

Jack looked shocked. "What did you do that for?" he asked.

"You ordered 'no survivors,'" the Captain retorted. "That is not an order that should be taken lightly. And see? We could have all been dead. And for what? A group of orphan gypsies and an insolent boy who cannot stay out of Spanish brothels!"

Jack grinned and winked at a pirate standing near him. "It was actually a convent," he said under his breath.

"Silence!" the Captain roared. "I should have let them take you all the way to Cuba so you could find your own way off that blasted plantation! Teach you a much-needed lesson. And what do you expect me to do with all of these children now?"

"We're taking them to Tortuga," Jack replied.

"Are we? Because last I recall I did not order that, as the captain. My heading was in the opposite direction. Now we have to alter course because of _your_ insolence?"

"Trust me, sir," Jack said, grinning cockily. "I think you're glad you came to rescue this group."

"I had better be," the captain said to him. Then, to the crew. "Make way for Tortuga!" Turning once more to Jack, he said, "And I'll be seeing you in my cabin." Then he walked away, amidst the commotion on deck.

Jack gave an order to one of the men to see to the children that they got a proper meal and a place to rest. He then came back to Rose and took her by the hand.

"Come on, Rose," he said. "You're going to meet the Captain."


	8. Chapter 7 - Teague

Rose didn't particularly want to meet the Captain. The Captain frightened her. Why was Jack so intent on taking her with him? Rose began to drag her feet, for she wanted nothing to do with this.

Jack only tugged at her harder, leading her into the cabin. It was dark, lit only by a few scarce candles, and in the corner by the windows, Rose could just barely make out the silhouette of the Captain. His presence was like a thick tree, domineering and unwavering.

Jack was furious and Rose could feel it. He stormed right up to him dragging her right behind him and stopped suddenly, pulling her between them.

Teague looked down at Rose, and Rose felt her body tremble with his glare. "What's this?" he asked Jack.

"Hmm," Jack replied sardonically. "Funny you should ask what this is. _This,"_ he said, motioning to Rose, "Is Rose...do you have a last name?"

"No," Rose replied.

"No?"

"No."

"Well, you're in for quite the surprise, Rose!" Jack said, looking back at the Captain, who narrowed his eyes in response. "Stop wasting my time, Jack. We have important matters to discuss."

"None as important as this," Jack curtly remarked. "Who's Anna?"

Rose's heart fluttered. What was Jack doing?

The captain narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

"I said, who's Anna?"

The captain shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No?" Jack said. He knelt next to Rose. "Rose, my dear, I'm going to have to borrow your necklace, but I'll give it back I swear."

Rose initially objected, but was persuaded to let it off her neck. She then was dumbfounded by what happened next. Jack reached into his shirt, and pulled a nearly identical pendant from around his neck. He fit the two pieces together perfectly.

"Indonesian pendents," Jack said, staring at the Captain. "Unique. None other like them. One for Mother and one for you. Tell me, where's yours?"

The Captain's eyes bore straight into Jack's, but Jack returned the look with grace, still holding the connected pendents together.

Rose didn't understand what was happening, and was starting to get upset. "Jack?" she asked quietly.

He knelt down, disconnecting the pendents and returning hers to her neck and his to his own. "I'm sorry, Rose. Let me get you up to speed. That man," he said, motioning toward the Captain, "Is named Edward Teague. That man is your father."

Rose looked at Teague, mouth agape. This man could not possibly be her father.

"Teague," Jack said, looking up at him, "Meet your daughter!"

Teague shook his head. "That gypsy changeling is no child of mine."

"Look at her!" Jack ordered. Rose looked down at the floor, trembling. Jack grabbed her chin and yanked upwards. "Look at her!"

Rose now had no choice but to look at Teague, her heart racing so fast. His eyes were cold and sad, his arms were crossed in firm retaliation. "…Jackie. I…have nothing to say."

"I didn't say speak to _me_ , I said LOOK AT HER!"

Teague ultimately _did_ look at her, his eyes as cold as stone. "What about it?"

"What about it?" repeated Jack with surprise. "What _about_ it? You really don't care, do you?"

"You are taking a name and the word of a little girl as your point! This is a ridiculous!" cried Teague, stepping toward them.

"The pendent?" Jack shouted. "That is no coincidence! You promised Mother that these were to be shared between the two of you!"

"Gypsies are wanderers that make many liaisons. Any man could be her father."

"She looks exactly like you! She is your daughter!"

"Jack, I'm a pirate—"

"That's no excuse!" Jack hollered. "She has no one left! Anna was killed and her group was attacked!"

Rose watched her father's jaw tighten and he looked away wordlessly, pondering over this. She couldn't read his reaction, but he did appear visibly jarred by this information.

Jack hoisted Rose up so that she had to wrap her arms around his neck again. "I will be laying anchor at Tortuga with Rose and the others. If you won't be there for her, _I will._ "

"Jack!" Teague called after them as they left. "Jack! You won't defy me again! Get back here—" The slamming door sealed his last words after them.

Jack took her back to his quarters, which was barely the size of a closet. Hung up around the place were drawings, knick knacks, and maps with writing all over them. Jack set Rose down on a chair near his bed, where he sat, head in his hands. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Rose," he said quietly. "But he had to know."

"Jack I don't understand," Rose said, on the verge of tears. "I understand about the pendent, but you said that another woman had the other..."

He paused, touching the stone around his neck. "She threw it after she got into a fight with him. I picked it up and kept it for her because I knew how unique it was. Except for the fact that he gave his away to your mother."

"Who is _she?_ "

Jack gave a sad smile. " _My_ mother."

Rose widened her eyes. "Teague is...your father too?" Jack nodded. "You're my brother," she said slowly.

"Half-brother," he said. "Yes I suppose I am. A sister I never knew I had." They spent the next few moments in silent contemplation, looking at the floorboards.

Rose spoke first. "You must hate my mother."

"No," said he. "I'm sure she didn't know."

"Not all gypsies are bad," Rose said.

"They are sort of...pirates of the land," he said.

Rose looked up with surprise. To her young eyes, pirates were far more powerful and dangerous than gypsies. "What do you mean?"

"Alright, alright. Let me explain," said he. "The honest men and women to society see you gypsies as a lower species, seeing and- your sensitive ego forgive me for saying this, but you _are_ a generally dishonest folk. Whether it's right or wrong pertaining to your group, it's the truth, eh?"

She nodded.

"You, as gypsies, prefer to be amongst your similar friends, eh?"

"Yes…" she said uncertainly.

"Therefore, seeing as the honest men and women to society think of pirates as lowly species-es as well, you gypsies prefer to live amongst your similar friends, the pirates! Savvy?" He nodded, satisfied.

"I suppose…" Rose said again, warily.

"Hence, you gypsies most likely have observed pirate ways and taken some of them to heart. Yes?"

"Sure…"

"And, if I know pirates at all, _they lie._ Constantly. Unceasingly, it seems. They will do anything to win, to be the best, to get the treasure. _Anything."_

 _"I'm_ not like that," Rose said with certainty.

"Perhaps not. It's not for everyone," he said. "But I ask you, was your mother like that?" Rose thought long and hard before she answered. Before she could, he added, "There must have been _something_ that attracted her to him and him to her, eh?"

This was difficult for Rose to grasp, but she considered it. Maybe her mother wasn't the saint she had venerated her to be. Could both of her parents be swindlers just for their own selfish gains?

"Our father," Rose said finally, "Is undoubtedly worse than my mother."

"Agreed," Jack said.

"Why would he want nothing to do with me?" she asked him softly. "If they loved each other, what would make him do such a thing?"

"Crimes of the heart," Jack scoffed, "Nary a soul can comprehend. It matters not anyhow."

"But what will become of it?"

Jack shrugged carelessly. "I've been alright on my own before. Now will not be any different." He smiled. "And now I've got you!"

In spite of herself, Rose smiled as well. It felt good to have a brother. "But what will we do at Tortuga?" she asked.

He got a playful gleam in his eye as he said, "It will take a few years, but we'll have a place of our own soon."

"How?"

"I'm in love," Jack grinned.

Rose leaned closer. "With who?"

He whispered, "The _Black Pearl_."


	9. Chapter 8 - Tortuga

Rose's dreams haunted her again. Though the only visual present were two large eyes, they soon revealed themselves to be the harsh eyes of her father. Rose's body began to shake as they burned with hatred. _Rose,_ their fearsome voices cried out. She shook again. _Rose!_

"Rose!" Jack said, shaking her shoulder gently. She awoke, catching her breath. "You alright?"

She nodded quickly, trying to behave in a normal fashion once again and rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"We're here," continued Jack, grabbing his provisions and extending a hand Rose's way to help her up from the makeshift bed she had fashioned.

"Tortuga?" she asked.

"Aye!" he grinned. "And if ye don't mind, I'd rather be rid of this place sooner than later, so if we could just hop-to. I've already seen the other children off. It's our turn now!"

It took a moment for Rose's eyes to adjust to the glaring sunlight on deck, but she continued to keep pace with her half-brother as he made his way toward the gangplank, occasionally bidding a gallant farewell to certain members of the disgruntled crew. Suddenly, Rose felt an urge to look behind her. Towards the helm stood Teague, watching his children descend, expression unreadable. Rose slowed her pace to a stop, swallowing the disapproval she felt radiating from him.

"Rose?" said Jack, stirring her from her thoughts. "Keep up please."

She nodded and looked back at Teague once more, but he had turned away. She found herself wishing that he had tried to stop them from leaving. It was Rose's last chance to have a family and a home. No matter how dysfunctional, she ached for permanence.

Tortuga was unlike any place Rose had ever seen. For the next hour, Jack was her tour guide, leading her from the docks to the town. Jack loved this place, and Rose could tell by his enthusiasm. He gave her helpful tips of which places to avoid, some basics of the Pirate Code, and general life advice:

"Never trust a pirate, Rose. Always assume he is out to swindle and otherwise cheat you of something in the long run."

"If you ever hear of a bloke named Fitch looking for me, the answer is 'Never heard of him,' 'He's settled his debt with your lawyer,' or 'I heard he went to Singapore and died of the measles,' understood?"

They came upon a square full of competing taverns as day began its transition into night, and thirsty pirates from the docks began to assemble into these facilities looking for mischief and plenty of rum. Jack first led Rose up to the steps of a tavern named _The Faithful Bride._ Jack stopped, looking at the wooden sign swinging in the evening breeze, smiling thoughtfully. He then continued on to the next building, leaving Rose confused as to why Jack wouldn't enter the first.

She quickly forgot her bewilderment upon entering _McHenry's._ The tavern had just barely opened, and yet already it was filled with upwards of fifty men, hollering, singing, brawling, and generally bringing the surrounding noise to a crescendo of cacophonous mayhem. Rose narrowly avoided a bottle of whiskey that was thrown from some unknown area of the bar, and Jack hurriedly grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her in front of him, keeping her close. They came to a crashing halt as Rose nearly collided with a torso directly in her face. Looking up, she saw a bearded man swaying, already a bit tipsy from the evening's festivities.

"Oi!" the man cried, slurring his speech. "Donniknow ye?"

Jack smiled amicably, patting the man on the shoulder. "'Fraid not, mate! Must have me confused with someone else." He then directed Rose out of the way of the drunk fellow.

But the man was relentless. "No, yer Cap'n Jack! Inevaferget a face!" he cried after them.

Jack turned back to him. "The name's Smith, lad." He leaned over to Rose, muttering, "When in doubt, your last name is always 'Smith.'"

"Smith my left foot!" the man continued to holler, causing several pirates to take notice. "Yer name's—"

Jack didn't let him finish that thought, for he pulled his pistol on the fellow, saying calmly, "I'm going to give you one last chance to walk away, mate."

The fellow was wise enough in his stupor to take heed, teetering off to bother some other unfortunate soul. As Jack and Rose continued to make their way through the bar, Jack explained, "I have quite the reputation, and we don't want any trouble now."

He stopped her when they got to the bar. Jack pulled a stool and hoisted Rose up so that she could see over the tall wooden structure. He then whistled for the barmaid to come over toward him. Upon seeing him, her face lit up, and she rushed over to greet him.

"I knew you'd be back for me!" she cried, her blonde hair bobbing in its elaborate up-do. "You promised that you'd take me on your ship months ago!"

Jack grinned deviously. "And only a few more months yet, lass! But I come here on another errand altogether."

She bit her lip seductively. "Oh," said she. "What _sort_ of errand? Does it involve my room or yours?"

"Actually, it involves the room of your employer."

The girl looked taken aback at this. "That's a little unorthodox, but we could make it work…"

Jack pursed his lips. "As flattered as I am by your tenacity, I'm afraid I mean a different sort of errand entirely. This," he said, motioning to Rose, "Is a petite friend of mine. Say hello!"

Rose politely nodded. "Hello!"

The girl leaned across the bar, smiling at Rose. "How adorable you are! And what's your name? Mine's Veronica!"

"Rose Teague," Rose instinctively replied, then stopped once she heard Jack wince.

He leaned over to her, saying under his breath, "When in doubt, your name is _Smith. SMITH!"_

Veronica shot a warning look back at Jack. "She's not… _yours,_ is she?"

"Hardly," Jack replied. "A gypsy orphan I rescued. Her mother tragically died in a shipwreck, her father of a broken heart. She has not a friend in the world… But I wonder…"  
"What?" Veronica asked, gripped by Jack's lies.

"No no," he said with a dramatic flair, "It's too much of me to ask."

"No, what is it?"

"Well, perhaps… Perhaps she could work here?"

"Here?" Veronica scoffed. "This is no place for a child, Jack."

"Nor is it a place for a lovely lass like yourself," Jack said charmingly.

She blushed, waving him off. "Oh now! I simply couldn't ask the master to take her on!"

"You told me at our last rendezvous that you and Marie were stretched too thin here! I'm offering you another hand! All she needs is a roof over her head, Veronica! Look at the poor child!"

Veronica did look at Rose, and gave a pitying glance her way. "Alright," she said. "I'll speak to McHenry now. But I make no promises!"

After she had walked a safe distance away, Rose finally had the chance to ask Jack all of the many questions she had on her mind due to this encounter.  
"You want to get rid of me?" she began.

"No no! Not at all! I'll explain soon."

"I don't want to work here, Jack. I don't know the first thing about serving anyone!"

"It's fine! You'll learn quickly!"

"Jack!"

"Shhh!"

Veronica had returned. She said happily, "Well, lucky for the both of you, McHenry's had a bit too much to drink this afternoon. I can simply tell him he accepted your proposal in the morning, and he'll have no choice but to comply!"

"You're certain?" Jack asked with concern.

"Of course!" she replied. "This happens all the time. How else do you think we got that bloody chandelier that's always drippin' wax on everybody?"

Jack put his hand atop hers. "How can I ever thank you?"

She grinned. "I think I know a way… What are you doing tonight?"

Jack looked at Rose. "I'm a little busy tonight, but I promise you the first ride aboard the _Black Pearl_ once it is finally mine! A few months at most, I promise!"

She looked slightly disappointed, but nodded anyways. "That's fine I suppose…" she said. Looking to Rose, she added, "Don't you worry, lass. Marie and me will get you all caught up on all you have to know! Come by late tonight and we'll get your bed ready."

Rose tried her best to look appreciative, but she was too wrought with worry to completely pull it off. What was Jack doing, and why all of a sudden was she a prisoner to people she didn't even know? She had just escaped a slave ship to become someone else's slave.

After leaving the tavern, Jack had led Rose to a secluded beach just outside the town. Only a few crabs skittered here and there, and there were no other signs of life to disturb them. Jack built a fire on the beach so that Rose could see in the dark, and once it had grown to considerably strong, she finally found it in her to ask Jack once and for all what had just transpired. "You must explain to me why you are leaving me here with those…people."

Jack looked over at her. "I need to retrieve the _Black Pearl,"_ he began.

"Then take me with you!" she pleaded. "We've only just met and already you're leaving me alone on a strange place with people I don't know."

"You'll be safe here!"

"I can be safe with you!" she protested.

"No, you can't," he insisted. "Rose, you have no idea what awaits me. I have to make a deal with Davy Jones himself to raise my old ship from the depths of the sea. I'm to rename her the _Black Pearl_. Jones is not to be trifled with!"

"I won't get in the way, I promise!"

"He's immortal! His face is all…slimy and…tentacly. He's been cursed because he is so evil!"

Rose looked down at her lap ruefully. "I don't believe you," she said. "You're making it all up to scare me."

"I'm not, I promise! Rose, I haven't lied to you at all since—"

"You just did lie!" she cried. "You promised that you would stay with me! I've lost everyone I ever knew!"

Seeing how upset she was, Jack lowered his tone and inched closer to his young sister. "I know none of this has been easy for you, nor will it be easy. But I _promise,_ on my honor, on my life even, that I will return for you. And when I do we will sail the seas…for an eternity if that's what you wish!"

Rose laughed in spite of her anxiety. "We can't live _forever,"_ she reasoned.

"Don't count that out, love. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! Nothing is impossible for me!"

Rose smiled, then grew pensive. "Why did you bother, Jack? When you learned that our father was unfaithful and I am his daughter, you could have just left me with the other children. But you didn't. Why?"

He smiled. "You didn't ask for any of this. And methinks you and me inherited all the good bits of Teague, if there even _is_ such a thing."

Rose's chest felt heavy, for she already felt how much she was going to miss Jack even though he sat right at her side. "For how long will you be gone?" she asked.

Jack did some calculations in his mind, then stated, "One year at most. Be polite to your employers, do as your told and no harm will come to you! On my word, one year, and you're sure to see black sails in that harbor!"

Rose nodded. She supposed that she could wait a year for Jack to get his ship and a crew. Once he had secured his position as captain of a formidable ship, he would retrieve her and fulfill his promise. Then she would be with her family once more. "Alright," she agreed.

"That's a good girl," Jack said. "One last thing while it's on me mind," he continued, holding up his half of their matching pendant. "Never ever tell anyone how we're related," he said. "Every pirate worth his weight in gold comes through Tortuga, and many of them aren't all too fond of me. Knowing that we're brother and sister can be used against us, and the last thing I want is for you to fall into danger, savvy?"

She nodded understandingly, then stared back into the fire, taking in her final moments with her brother before he would inevitably have to walk her back to _McHenry's_ , leave her with Veronica who would ultimately show her around her new home, and then leave her with the words, "Look for black sails in that harbor…"

* * *

Rose blinked awake, peering out the shades of the window next to her. _Dawn._ She grinned, slipping on her flat shoes and grabbing her day gown, tip-toeing lightly as not to wake Marie and Veronica, the other barmaids who were asleep in their cots around her.

She successfully made it out to the hallway without having stirred either of them, for which she celebrated silently. There was no time to lose, however, and she quickly had to pull the light green dress she had grabbed over her head and secure it in place, giving no concern for the state of her wild dark hair.

Though the old door outside the kitchen creaked loudly on its hinges when she put weight on it, she was able to still move stealthily enough that she was swiftly outside the tavern and on her way to the cliffside without anyone having noticed her. She broke into a run, racing upwards. _Today could be the day..._

As she grew closer to the cliff which overlooked the busy docks, she began to see encounter more people. The docks were always busy no matter what time of day it was, but the areas surrounding the town were deserted in the morning. As she began to see familiar faces of various townspeople she had come to know, she slowed her pace for the sake of maintaining decency, though her heart still raced with excitement. Finally, once she continued up a steep part of the hill that in moments would overlook the harbor completely, she sprinted, feeling the sea air whip her hair straight back. She suddenly stopped once she reached the spot.

 _Black sails, black sails..._ She scanned the harbor looking for the ship with black sails...to no avail. The slightest twinge of disappointment creeped into her, but she quickly suppressed it as soon as she felt it. She'd be back at sunset, as was her daily habit.

She hadn't missed a day looking for the _Black Pearl_ in three years, ever since the day Jack had left her here with his promise to come back to her.

Rose was fifteen...and Jack was two years late.


	10. Chapter 9 - Waiting

"Rose!" a husky albeit shrill voice snapped. "Always shirking yer chores in the mornin'! Get yerself to the kitchen at once, ye worthless, blasted..."

Rose stopped listening there. She had learned to shut her mind off from hearing the insults slung her way by Mrs. McHenry. McHenry and his wife meant well, but they were not adept at caring for a girl her age, let alone for two years more than they ever expected to care for her.

Rose did not increase her pace, though Mrs. McHenry's orders persisted. She _did_ start listening again once the burly woman grabbed Rose by her hair sharply. "And fix this dirty mane of yers!" she barked. "Though me customers are being served by a no-account gypsy orphan, they don't need to be made aware of this straight off!"

Mrs. McHenry released her, and Rose mumbled a begrudging, "Yes ma'am," and rubbed her scalp. As she entered the kitchen through the creaky door, her eyes met a pair of gleaming ones.

"What are _you_ smiling about?" she growled.

The owner of the eyes was a boy her age, with short brown hair and a happy face. His name was Benjamin McHenry, and he was the son of the tavern keeper, Mr. McHenry. "She caught you again," he said.

"And this gives you glee?"

Ben smiled again, "Why don't you just fix your hair straight off in the morning? It'll at least save you the pain of her pulling it out for you!"

"It's not that..." she muttered.

"Oh don't let her get to you!" said Ben, nudging her shoulder encouragingly. "Josephine is all bark and no bite!" Josephine McHenry was not Ben's mother. His mother had died in childbirth, taking his unborn brother with her when he was only three. His father had remarried not four years later, though Ben was personally not a fan of his step-mother. "You should know that by now!" said he.

Rose shook her head, looking up at him. "No, it's not Josephine."

Ben nodded understandingly. "The _Black Pearl,_ isn't it?"

She shook her head sadly. "It's been so long...you don't reckon he's in any _danger_ do you?"

He shrugged. "We can't be sure." He treaded carefully on his next question to Rose, already anticipating her reaction. "I'm only worried that...perhaps, he's...forgotten?"

Just as he suspected, Rose sharply turned to him. "Jack would never forget me!" she firmly stated. "He won't go back on his word! He swore!"

Ben backed away. "Alright!" he said supportively. "Then if that's what you think, I'm sure he'll be here soon!"

"I'm sorry," said Rose guiltily. "I just...I can't take much more of this place."

"Neither can I," he replied. He looked around, then lowered his voice. "Does your offer still stand?"

Rose grinned. "Yes!" she cried. "When Jack finally comes, you simply must come with me!"

"Come with you where?" a gruff voice interjected.

Rose and Ben were startled by the sudden appearance of Mr. McHenry. Both began to stammer, searching for a lie until Rose finally said, "To...the docks! To fetch the new barrel shipment!"

Rose knew that this lie was at least valid, for it was Ben's daily duty to go down to the docks and fetch barrel after barrel of wine and liquor to restock the bar for the evening.

Mr. McHenry furrowed his bushy, grey eyebrows at this. "Who said _you_ could go?" said he to Rose.

Rose opened her mouth, though no answer surfaced.

"I did, Father!" Ben said on her behalf. "I promised her that I would teach her how to move the barrels!"

McHenry bristled. "How hard can it be? You take a barrel, roll it up, go back for another!" To his son, he scoffed, "Why do you need a girl's help? You're not growing soft on me, are you, boy?"

"No, Father," Ben replied, face flushed. "I just...could use the company."

McHenry shook his head. "Get Veronica or Marie to help you. They're bigger than Rose is."

Rose interjected, "But Veronica and Marie have to clean the tavern from last night! They are far too busy."

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be cleaning the tavern as well?" McHenry said skeptically. Rose was sheepish at this revelation, but finally McHenry broke under the pleading gaze of his son. "Fine," he groaned. "But mark me! If we lose a single barrel because of the work of a novice, _both_ of you will be cleaning the tavern on your own, while Veronica and Marie get the day off. Understood?"

The children were elated despite the threat, quickly thanked McHenry, and raced each other to the docks. Once they arrived at the ship, it was quite simple for Rose to catch on to the duty at hand. Ben handled the payment for twelve barrels, then one by one, they began rolling them back up the hill into town.

"I think Benjamin McHenry is a fine pirate name," Rose said to her friend on their third round of transporting the heavy containers uphill.

"You think? I find it too commonplace. You don't think something like...like, 'Ben the Buccaneer?'"

Rose shook her head. "It's not nearly as commonplace as 'Rose Teague.'" She stuck her tongue out at the name in disgust.

He laughed. "Commonplace? Who else do you know with the name, 'Teague?'"

Rose didn't answer him, thinking to herself precisely who had the name Teague. Jack wanted to disassociate himself with the family name, and that was therefore a good enough reason for her too to want separation from it. If Teague didn't want anything to do with her, why should she then carry around his name as a constant reminder of that fact?

"What was it?" Ben asked, disrupting her thoughts. "That name you used to make up when we would play Pirate? Hex-something?"

"Hexfury," said Rose, embarrassed. "And no, I'm not using _that!"_

"Why not?"

"First off," said she, "I thought it sounded fearsome _years_ ago! Now it's just silly! And second, I couldn't go around with a name like, 'Rose Hexfury.' People will think I'm an angry witch!"

Ben stopped his barrel and made it stand upright, though they were only halfway back to town. Rose followed his lead, though she was unsure of why they had stopped. Suddenly, Ben sprang backward and hid behind his barrel. "Quick, Miss Hexfury!" he exclaimed. "Ghost pirates are attacking! We must retaliate!"

Rose laughed, rolling her eyes. "Aren't we a bit old to play Pirate?"

"I'm not!" he yelled, peering over the barrel. "Besides, this is our last chance to play without any real peril! Soon these adventures will be the rest of our lives!" He reached his arm over his barrel out to her. "So what's say you, Rose Hexfury?" he asked. "Will you join me aboard the _Black Pearl?"_

Rose grinned, taking his hand and joining him in their game of make-believe. "Just imagine the adventures we'll have!" said Ben. "Now! Let's give those knaves a good blast from our starboard cannons!"

"Aye aye, Ben the Buccaneer!"

Through their play, Rose couldn't help but swallow impending sadness. Ben was right, soon this childlike bliss would dissipate into very real violence and danger. And even more frightening, what if Jack really _had_ forgotten about her? Ben was so excited to leave the tavern on Tortuga. What if that was never meant to be?


	11. Chapter 10 - McHenry's Tavern

That evening, Rose and Ben had returned to see if the _Pearl_ had magically appeared in the harbor, despite the two of them having spent the entire afternoon by the docks already. Ben reminded Rose to not get discouraged, and they returned back to the tavern to get ready in order to serve thirsty customers that were surely already awaiting service.

Rose had braided her long hair, tying the rest off with a bun, donned an apron and picked up a tray, then rushed off to serve the rambunctious pirates within the tavern, all while being screeched at by Mrs. McHenry. Rose, Veronica and Marie did all the heavy lifting around the tavern during service hours. It was Mr. and Mrs. McHenry's jobs to keep order around the building as the wild and rowdy pirates became even more wild with the added element of alcohol as the night went on. Rose had become an expert in avoiding shattered glass and any sort of various scuffles that inevitably broke out in the loud, uncontrollable facility.

Tonight, Rose made her way first to a calm-looking trio of sailors, who politely ordered three bottles of rum from her. She returned to the kitchen, fetched the order, and promptly delivered it to her waiting customers, collecting their money in exchange. She would then return two-thirds of that money to Mrs. McHenry's sweaty palm, pocketing the other third for herself. Rose should have been handing over all of the sum to Mrs. McHenry, as her payment was food and a roof over her head, but Rose had begun to collect some of the sales she made for herself beginning about a half a year ago just in case Jack's plan fell through. Rose was determined to get off the island, no matter the cost. She had already collected a considerable amount of money, and at the very least could afford passage to another island. She only kept collecting for the sake of ensuring Ben's passage as well...

Rose turned from Mrs. McHenry to make another sale, when the woman called after her, "Just a moment!"

Rose's heart dropped at the notion that perhaps the woman had discovered the money she had pawned. "Yes?" Rose squeaked.

"Did't you charge those men for _three_ bottles of rum?"

So she _had_ discovered the cost discrepancy. "No," Rose lied. "Only two."

Mrs. McHenry narrowed her eyes. "I thought I saw you carrying three bottles."

Rose had no idea how to answer, but thankfully Marie came rushing to her aid accidentally.

"Mrs. McHenry!" she said breathlessly. "Some very loud gentlemen in the back are trying to pay for their drinks in treasure maps!"

Mrs. McHenry groaned, pocketing the money Rose had given her and angrily stomping off with Marie in tow to resolve the dispute.

Rose tried to slow her heart's pounding, quickly returning to her service and vowing to stay as far away from Mrs. McHenry as possible for the rest of the night.

As she walked through the crowd, she heard a voice cry out, "Rosie! C'mere!"

Rose followed the voice, seeing that it led to Reynolds, a middle-aged redheaded pirate with horrible halitosis who was a regular at the tavern. Tonight, he was entertaining a group of equally haggard friends around a large table.

"Mates," he announced to his company, "I'd like to introduce ye to Rosie!"

Rose politely smiled to his dirty brethren, then readied herself for their orders, though no orders ever came.

"I knew Rosie since she was this tall," said Reynolds, holding his hand to about Rose's waist. "She's been serving here fer years now, and what a pretty lass she's developed into." He grabbed her cheek and pinched it, though Rose pulled away. Noticing this, he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him so that she was sitting on his lap. "Come now, don't be shy, dearie!"

"Oi!" a shrill voice cried out behind him. Reynolds's face fell as Veronica peered around him. "Let the girl go!" she ordered, helping to pull the bewildered Rose to her feet. "She's only a child, Reynolds!" she scolded. "And is _this_ body not young enough for ye?"

The men with Reynolds hooted and hollered, while Rose only cringed. _Veronica and Reynolds? Jack wasn't kidding when he said she wasn't picky..._

Veronica turned back to Rose and whispered, "Move to another group. I'll take care of these knaves!"

"Thank you!" Rose said with deep gratitude.

"Nonsense! We ladies must stick together!" she replied with a wink.

Rose needed a moment to recover from what had just happened, and quickly dove into the deserted kitchen for some time alone. But refuge had she none for long, for Ben ducked into the kitchen after her, leaning up against the opposite wall.

"You just missed a very awkward situation," he said.

Rose snorted. "So did you," she said, referring to the Reynolds debacle.

Ben cocked his head, "What?"

"Nothing important," Rose said. "What with you?"

"My father called me into his room," Ben began. "And he told me not to marry you."

Rose's eyes went wide. "What?!"

"That's what I said!" said he, joining Rose on her side of the room, leaning on a spot of the wall next to hers. "He said that he knew how close we've been, but recently he's noticed that we've been closer than usual." Ben and Rose exchanged a knowing glance. _He might be growing suspicious about our plan of escape,_ the look read, though neither of them dared speak their fear aloud.

"He thinks it's a...budding romance!" continued Ben with a shudder. "He said that I might someday want to wed you, but I shouldn't because you don't have any prospects. No parents, no land, no dowry. He said it wasn't worth it."

Rose gulped, staring straight ahead. "What did _you_ say?"

"I told him the truth! We're only friends! I wouldn't dream of marrying you!"

Rose joined in his laughter, though inside she was crushed. _No parents, no land, no dowry...not worth it...I wouldn't dream of marrying you._

Even though she felt as though she had been punched in the stomach, she had to stay stoic. Ben had no way of knowing that deep inside, she dreamed of the two of them someday owning their own ship, sailing away together, doing as they pleased and completely in love. It was a secret hope, but yet another one that had come crashing down around her. While he wouldn't dream of marrying _her_ , she dreamed the opposite every day.


	12. Chapter 11 - Cleaning Up the Wreckage

Her night was restless. Rose was worried about Jack, hurt by Ben's words, and had had yet another nightmare. This time in the dream, Jack was in great danger. He was alone on an island, while a black ocean seemed to swallow him up. After the nightmare, Rose had completely abandoned the notion of sleep altogether, and spent the night blind in the dark, waiting until there was enough sunlight that her vision was restored. When this happened, she grabbed her shoes and her dress and began her stealthy escape back to the docks. Sadly, her progress was thwarted just before she reached the hallway when she ran straight into the bosom of Mrs. McHenry.

"Oh no!" she shouted. "Yer not goin' on your special mornin' jaunt today!"

Rose's heart fell. This would be the first time in three years that Rose would miss her dawn patrol for the _Pearl._ Even in sickness Rose somehow managed to make her way to the bluff to look for her brother.

"Rise n' shine, ladies!" Mrs. McHenry shouted into their room. "That brawl last night completely destroyed the tavern. We're going to need all hands on deck today to get it proper by the time we open! Up up up!" And to Rose, she said, "Fix yer hair!" before marching off.

Rose was devastated. Her twice daily search for Jack wasn't so much a legitimate hunt as it was a good luck charm. She felt that routinely going to the bluff kept the hope alive inside her. What if the one time this routine was broken would prevent him from ever coming back?

Marie peered around the door frame behind Rose. "Of all days to rise us early!" she whispered.

"I know," said Rose sadly.

"No, you don't understand!" Marie said is a hushed voice. "Veronica left in the middle of the night and hasn't yet returned! Mrs. McHenry will have her hide if she knows she's gone!"

Rose's eyes widened. "What do we do?"

"We have to go out there," she replied. "We'll just have to say she's sick or something!"

Rose was uncertain of this plan's ability to actually work against Mrs. McHenry, but neither girl had any choice but to comply. They both dressed and made their way to the tavern, both gasping at the atrocity of the scene before them.

The brawl must have broken out after service hours, for neither Marie nor Rose were around to see the resulting destruction. There was shattered glass all over the floor. The walls were coated in rum and wine, and broken pieces of wood from various chairs and tables littered the room. Exchanging a glance, the girls sighed deeply and began the clean-up process. To their great fortune, Mrs. McHenry was off purchasing more furniture the entire morning, and did not return to find only two of her three barmaids working on the room until mid-afternoon.

"Where's Veronica?" she gruffly asked them.

Marie shot Rose a glance, and then lied, "Sick, ma'am. She's bedridden."

"Like hell she is!" Mrs. McHenry yelled, stomping down towards the hallway.

As fate would have it, just when the woman was out of earshot, Veronica herself rushed into the tavern. "So sorry I'm late—"

Rose and Marie silenced her quickly, much to her confusion.

"You're sick!" Marie whispered.

"What? No I'm not!"

"YES YOU ARE!" said Rose and Marie in unison.

"Oh!" Veronica replied in understanding.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mrs. McHenry shouted from down the hallway, having discovered that Veronica was not sick in bed, as the girls had just reported to her.

Marie and Rose rushed back to their original positions while Veronica quickly picked up a broom and began to work. When Mrs. McHenry charged into the room, Veronica put on a winning smile. "Feeling much better, ma'am! Just decided to take a quick walk! I'm all better now!"

Mrs. McHenry just glared at her. "You owe these girls a service for pulling yer weight for the whole mornin'!"

"I know, Mrs. McHenry! I have thanked them profusely!"

The old woman only sneered as she slammed the door behind her, leaving the girls alone once more.

"For the record, you have _not_ thanked us profusely..." Marie grumbled.

Veronica put a hand on her heart and said genuinely, "I am _so_ sorry! Thank you both so much!"

"Where were you?" Rose scolded.

Veronica grinned sleepily, moving her broom in a seductive circular pattern across the littered floor. "With a man," she cooed.

Marie and Rose let out a groan, as this was no uncommon occurrence. "Which one?" Marie said sardonically. "You've surely racked up hundreds by now!"

"Untrue!" Veronica said over their laughter. "Besides, I was with the only one who really counts."

"Because he has the most doubloons," snickered Rose to Marie.

"Stop it, both of you! He's a captain!"

"Really?" Marie said. "Or did he just tell you that to get yer lovin'?"

Veronica grew very proud. "I saw his ship myself! It was grand, and had a large crew, and had black sails!"

Rose dropped a stray bottle that she had picked up, sending it shattering to the ground. She gasped, "What was his name?"

"Jack Sparrow..." replied Veronica warily.

Rose's mouth fell agape and she whooped in joy! At last her brother had come for her!

Marie looked at Veronica. "What's all that about?"

Suddenly, Veronica realized why Rose was celebrating. "Oh! I forgot! He's the one who brought her here!" Then her face fell as she realized what that revelation meant. She quickly rushed to Rose to calm her. "Oh no, Rose! You weren't supposed to know! He was going to surprise you here tonight! I completely forgot—"

"No!" Rose cried in celebration. "This is perfect!" She pecked Veronica on the cheek and embraced Marie. "Thank you thank you THANK YOU!"

Mrs. McHenry had re-entered upon hearing the commotion. "What's all this?" she growled.

Rose ran right up to the woman fearlessly, tossing her apron at the wench. "I quit, Mrs. McHenry! I quit!"

She left the three women completely speechless in the disgusting place, racing off as fast as her feet could carry her to the docks. She hadn't even rounded the corner and she could see black sails looming over the cliff. She squealed again and ran straight for the ship.

It was easy to get to, as the gang plank was lowered. She raced up onto the deck, scanning the men aboard for Jack. Instead, she caught the attention of a concerned looking sailor. "Miss?" he said, approaching her. "You aren't supposed to be here."

She grinned. "Oh but I am! This might sound crazy, but I am the sister of your captain!"

The man too broke into a grin. "You must be Rose! He's spoken of you!"

Rose felt as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Not only had Jack finally come, but his men were _expecting_ her!

The man ushered Rose toward the back of the ship near two double doors. "Right this way, Miss Sparrow!" The fellow was so kind, she dared not correct his incorrect assumption about her last name.

They grew closer to the doors. Rose's heart raced when the man pounded on one of the doors, calling out "Captain! Someone here for you!"

At first, the only response was a lot of rustling around, followed by a yell and a loud thud. Then, the door opened, revealing a man with kohl-rimmed eyes and long dark hair tied back with a red bandana. He broke into a wide, gold-toothed grin when he saw her.

"'Allo, sister!" he cried.

* * *

"Well, I _was_ going to surprise you here tonight, had my loud-mouthed lady friend not ruined my plans!"

Veronica stood nearby, serving another patron, and having heard this, huffily stomped away from them.

Jack noticed this, and then leaned over to Rose. "Was she standing behind me the whole time?"

Rose only laughed. How strange it was to be back in this tavern being served on as a pirate instead of serving other pirates! Jack had brought her and his crew to back to the tavern for one night of celebration before they departed in the morning. Brother and sister were united sitting at a small table of their own and catching up on lost time.

"Now you must tell me," Rose said, "What on Earth kept you so long?"

Jack looked down apologetically, "I truly _am_ sorry, lass. It is a wonder that you kept your faith in me after all this time! I got the _Pearl_ just as I suspected I would, but then had a bit of a snafu that sent me on a trip around all seven seas!"

"You were in all seven seas over the past three years?" Rose asked. "Why?"

"To get and keep this," he said, pointing to a small assortment of beads that ended with a silver coin hanging from the top of his bandana. "This makes me one of nine Pirate Lords."

Rose's mouth fell agape. "A Pirate Lord? You?"

"Aye! I'm the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean."

Rose only laughed, collapsing her head into her hands.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

Rose shook her head. "I'm just so happy to see you again, Jack! How lucky I am to have found you!"

Jack smiled. "If I hadn't defied the East India Trading Company that day, they never would have thrown me on that labor transport vessel. We never would have found one another!"

Rose reached around her neck, grabbing the cord that held her mother's pendant and holding it up. Jack reached around his belt and did the same with his mother's identical pendant, both of which were purchased by their father so many years ago.

Rose grinned, but she caught the eye of Ben, who was peering at the siblings from around a door frame. She smiled to him, beckoning him over to their table. Jack looked over his shoulder to try and see who his sister was motioning to.

"Jack," Rose said. "I know it's a lot of me to ask, but could you please meet with a friend of mine?"

Ben approached the table hesitantly and pulled up a chair as Jack replied that he would. Ben introduced himself, and got straight to the point in asking Jack straight off if he could join the _Pearl_ 's crew.

Jack exchanged a glance with Rose, but she just smiled encouragingly. He then turned his gaze to Ben, keeping the atmosphere tense between them. "Are you willing to risk life and limb for the sake of the crew?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Will you take orders from rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves without defiance?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Are you prone to seasickness?"

"Er...no, sir!"

Jack gave a wry grin, then extended his hand to Ben, who shook it merrily, "Welcome aboard the _Black Pearl_ , Mr...?"

"McHenry, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Aye," Jack said, "Now begone with ye! We leave at dawn and not a minute later!"

Ben happily rushed off, filling Rose with joy! At least part of her plan of sailing away with Ben would come true!

Jack stirred her from her thoughts. "McHenry, eh?"

Rose gulped. "Yes."

"Rose, I've been that boy. A young lad who wants nothing more than to defy his parents and sail on the seas. Teague followed after me. I'm not going to have an angry innkeeper trying to find his son on my tail, am I?"

Rose had asked Ben this very question when be first expressed interest in coming aboard with Rose. She recited what he had said to her: "His father is terrified of the open ocean."

Jack was still uncertain. "I'll give him a trial period and we'll see if a pirate's life is for him."

"Thank you, Jack!" Rose said. "Thank you for everything!"

When time came for them to leave the tavern once and for all, Rose said her final goodbyes to Mr. McHenry, Marie, and a spiteful Veronica, thanking them once again for the kindness they had shown her. She exchanged an excited glance with Ben, suppressing the urge to celebrate their escape lest they give away their plan. Mrs. McHenry was conveniently nowhere to be found as the siblings left, but Rose did not rue her absence.

Jack led the way out the door into the night, and Rose froze on the front steps, completely motionless.

"What's wrong?" called Jack upon realizing that his sister was not with him.

"I cannot see," she replied.

"Oh!" he said rushing to her side and taking her arm. "I forgot about the night blindness!"

He led her to the ship and into his quarters. "I can't wait until you can see how grandiose she is by day!" he exclaimed proudly. But that would have to wait for now. He made up a makeshift bed for using some crates and pillows, and though she couldn't see a thing, the warmth she felt of knowing that she was in her brother's care made the three years she had waited worth it.


	13. Chapter 12 - Home Sweet Home

Rose awakened the next moment in a place foreign to her. For a moment, she had completely forgotten that Jack had returned, and no longer did she live in such a harsh environment as the tavern on Tortuga. Now she was aboard the _Pearl_ , her new home. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she took a first look at her new room that she was to share with her brother from then on, as now daylight streamed in through the large, ornate, colored glass windows that opened up to a panoramic view of whatever large expanse of ocean the vessel had just passed through. Jack had already left, presumably to oversee the ship's departure from Tortuga in the morning hours, giving Rose a chance to explore the Captain's quarters to her will. A large table made up the centerpiece of the room where Jack most likely took his meals. In the rear of the room nearby the windows was his bed and desk, completely hidden beneath piles of maps, charts, and bottles of rum, Rose supposed. Though very disorderly, Rose was thrilled to finally be here. She straightened her hair, and took a deep breath before opening the doors that led to the main deck where she was to meet her new family: the crew.

She was startled when the blaring sunlight first hit her eyes and she saw just how many sailors were aboard. She was nearly taken out by a rolling barrel controlled by an intimidating looking fellow with intense tribal marks all over his face. Rose quickly mumbled an apology for getting in the way and then rushed to an open clearing, searching for her brother. She scanned the deck, finally seeing his long hair beneath his tricorn hat. He was flailing his arms wildly about, directing his crew to do any variety of tasks, though it appeared to Rose that no one was paying him much heed.

"Rose!" an excited voice said, stirring her from her thoughts. She turned to see Ben, carrying a small pack of very few belongings that he saw fit to bring aboard.

Rose grinned when she saw him. "Ben!"

The boy was ecstatic. "Can you believe it?" he cried. "We're finally here! We've done it!"

"Do your parents know yet?" she asked concernedly. "That you're—"

"Gone?" Ben finished. "Hardly. They won't notice until late tonight, and they'll notice that they're bloody liquor shipment didn't come in before they notice my absence." When he saw that Rose still looked skeptical about his departing without telling his father and step-mother, he quickly added, "I left a letter in my room for them, but I still would doubt if—"

"And who are you?" a dark voice voice spoke over him, causing Ben to start.

"Benjamin McHenry, sir. Newly hired by Captain Sparrow, sir," squeaked Ben.

"Is that so?" the sneering man replied. "Then stop tarryin' and get to helpin' hoist the sails. You any good at riggin'?"

Ben quickly made his way, rushing to catch up with this gruff pirate, glancing back at Rose apologetically.

She called after him, "Come to the Captain's Quarters after sunset! We'll talk then!"

He nodded, then disappeared into the busy crowd of pirates heaving things to and fro across the deck.

Rose smiled in relief, happy to see that her friend was so excited to be free from Tortuga, and equally as pleased to be able to spend more time with him in the hopes that someday they could be more than just friends.

She turned back at the helm to see Jack, but ran right into another pirate. She gasped audibly not only after making contact with him, but also upon coming face to face with a screeching monkey, who was also startled by her clumsiness.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" she said, backing away from only to run straight into another passerby. Apologizing again, she turned back to the original man she had hit and was rendered speechless by his domineering presence. He was tall, older than Jack with a rough, weathered face and a haggard appearance. He wore a large, feathered hat and his eyes looked threateningly at Rose. His pet monkey stood perched on his shoulder, staring at Rose now in silent fascination.

"Ye best be steppin' lightly aboard a pirate ship, lass," he said in a thick Irish accent.

"My apologies again, sir," Rose stammered, trying to appear professional despite his reprimand.

"Master Barbossa, First Mate of the _Black Pearl,_ " he introduced himself gallantly. "Rose Sparrow, I presume?"

"Teague," she corrected, then instantly regretted upon seeing his delighted face.

"Teague, eh?" he said in surprise. "That explains a lot..." He began to circle her, eyeing her up and down. "You're quite a deal younger than Jack," he noted.

"Aye," she said uncertainly. He suddenly appeared over her left shoulder, further startling her. "Feel safe aboard our humble vessel?" he asked.

"With Jack around, yes," she replied honestly, leaning away from his rotting teeth.

"Your brother won't always be around to save ye, Miss Teague," he said, stepping away from her.

Rose tried to control the irritation that was flaring up inside her. "With all due respect, sir, I don't need Jack to save me."

"Ah yes, but consider this," he said. "A young girl like you, all alone on the sea? If somethin' were to...happen to Jack, say, what would become of ye? Ever spent time on a pirate ship before now?"

"Not much," she said through gritted teeth. "But I served a fair share of pirates in the tavern for the past three years."

"A ship is another thing entirely, lass," he hissed. "Between stormy seas and other pirates trying to pillage and plunder, not to mention the knaves aboard this vessel, there be squalls ahead, and Davy Jones waiting for them what don't obey!" His pet monkey screeched, as though affirming this thought.

Rose only swallowed, trying not to let Barbossa's intimidating words get to her, but it was clear that she was shaken up. Despite having just met her, he somehow seemed to know precisely how to manipulate her every worry she had upon coming aboard.

Barbossa added when she failed to respond to him. "But I'm certain ye don't need anyone to save ye, as you said. Not even yer CAPTAIN!" he yelled, causing her to start again. He had yelled this last word to Jack, tying it in to the last sentence he had said to Rose.

Jack looked over at Barbossa in response. "Mmm?" he cried.

"Before we make sail," Barbossa called out, "Do we have a headin'?" The crew who were on deck stopped their progress upon hearing this, looking to Jack expectantly.

"Um..." Jack said, looking around frantically as though the answers to his question were suspended in mid-air. Suddenly, he cried out, "North?"

Barbossa furrowed his brow, and in utter bewilderment asked, "Sir?"

"South?" Jack tried again, as though he had somehow responded incorrectly.

"South..." his first mate said skeptically.

"Aye!" replied Jack. "Towards um...er..."

"The South American continent?"

"That's the one!" Jack cried triumphantly. "Why don't we head down that way and figure out the rest as we go along?"

"As you command, _Captain,_ " Barbossa replied. He watched as Jack returned to his flailing, then turned to the surrounding men nearest him. "We'll head due East," Barbossa said to them. "Toward Port Royal. See if we can't sack a British trade ship."

Turning back to Rose one final time, he said, "Miss Teague," bidding her off and walking proudly away.

That night, Jack ensured that nearly every flat surface was illuminated to give Rose as much light by which to see as he could. They dined together, feasting on fineries Rose had never dreamed she'd find on a pirate ship.

"Only the finest for family," Jack said, toasting her with a wine glass. After they had nearly consumed the entirety of their meal, Jack asked her, "So, what do you think about the _Pearl?"_

"It's a fine ship," she replied honestly, "But I'm not certain the men are taking too kindly to me."

Jack looked taken aback by this. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, they _are_ pirates, and I certainly wasn't expecting a very warm welcome, but I believe they think that this ship is no place for a woman."

"Who gave you that idea?"

"Well," began Rose, hesitant to tattle on her brother's first mate, "Master Barbossa warned me of dangers that might lie ahead for me."

"Oh," said Jack, waving off her words with a flick of his wrist. "Pay no attention to Hector. He has a flair for the dramatic, that's all. I mean did you see the size of that hat?"

Rose giggled, but still was concerned. "I am safe here, right Jack?"

"Of course!" he cried, his mouth full of turkey leg meat. "No safer place in the Caribbean to be than right here with me!"

"Well I've been thinking about it," she said softly. "Why did you tell the men that I was your sister? You always told me never to tell anyone how we are related."

"That was back when we were separated," explained he. "There's no threat posed to us here."

"I don't know the first thing about sword fighting or shooting a pistol or sailing a ship—"

"All in good time, love!" When Jack saw that his sister still didn't look convinced, he stood and rushed off toward his desk, rifling through various piles he had created. "Here!" he cried triumphantly, producing a rusty cutlass and faded belt and handing them to Rose.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's your new best friend," Jack replied. Motioning for her to stand, he grabbed the belt from her and instructed her how to fashion it, tying it securely around her waist.

"Look at mine," he said. "You want it good and tight, for as you add more effects to it, the heavier it becomes."

Rose looked at her brother's belt closer, seeing various trinkets, bottles, pouches and holsters. "What _is_ all that?" she asked.

"My collection!" he said proudly. "I carry mementos and important things from everywhere I go. I always need to be carryin' it on me person!"

He then backed away from her, drawing his cutlass and holding it parallel and extended from him. "Now then, draw your weapon, m'lady."

Rose smiled, pulling the blade free from its sheath and pointing the tip of the weapon straight at him. "Fancy words for my first _kill_ ," she said jokingly.

Jack pursed his lips. "First of all, work on your phraseology. Those are nothing close to good quips. Second, your form is all wrong. Here..." He walked toward her, kicking her feet until she moved them where he wanted them to be. "Now center your weight."

Rose bent her knees, squatting low to the ground.

"What is that?" Jack cried. "I said center your weight!"

"I don't know what that means!"

"Like this!" he sighed, demonstrating. Rose copied him, making slight adjustments until she got his approval. She committed this stance to memory as he continued, "Alright, now you keep your eyes on your enemy..."

"Alright," she said.

"See right through him."

"Alright..."

"See his fears!"

"Alright!"

"Then..."

"Yes!"

"Improvise!" Jack said, sheathing his weapon and walking back towards the table.

"What?" Rose said, bewildered.

"The rest comes naturally!" he said simply, biting into his turkey leg once more. "He swings, you swing, he lunges, you block 'im, and you get the rest!"

"Improvise?"

"That's all there is to it, love!" Jack said.

Rose was still uncertain, just as she was uncertain about his captaining skills based on his demonstration on deck earlier, but she had no time to argue with him as they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Rose's eyes lit up. "Ben!" she cried. "I hope you don't mind, and I promise not to make a habit of it, but I invited him here tonight so we could talk. May he come in?"

"By all means!" Jack said.

Rose sheathed her sword and rushed to the door, opening it not to reveal Ben, but Barbossa. Her heart sank when she saw him. "Jack," she called back to her brother. "It's Master Barbossa."

"Ah, Hector!" Jack cried from inside.

"Captain," Barbossa greeted, pushing past Rose into the main room.

"Rose and I were just talking about you," added Jack, still happily munching on his dinner.

Barbossa turned and glared at Rose. "Were you? In regards to what, I wonder."

"Rose fears that she isn't welcome aboard this ship," Jack stated. "I entrust that this is not the case."

"No, sir," Barbossa said a little too emphatically. "Your sister is very welcome here. However," he said, "I _do_ wish to speak to you in private, sir."

"Certainly!" Jack agreed. The men turned to Rose expectantly, waiting for her to take her leave.

"I can't see in the night, Jack," Rose said nervously.

Barbossa raised his eyebrows. "Can't see in the night?" he said, looking to Jack.

"She was born with night blindness," he explained. "Rose, there's a crate right outside the door. We won't be but a moment, right Barbossa?"

"Of course, sir," Barbossa replied. "I'll even go retrieve the girl after I depart."

"Splendid!" Jack grinned, and with that, Rose hesitantly began to exit the room. She closed the door, suddenly enveloped in darkness. She felt for the crate Jack was referring to, and upon finding it, sat uncomfortably on the object, jumping at every noise, be it a creak of the floorboards or any voice that pierced through the night.

Rose sat there for quite some time, but perhaps it was just feeling longer than it was because she felt so exposed without use of one of her most important senses. She wished Ben would come, see her sitting alone in the dark and would keep her company, but he never came.

Suddenly, Rose heard the door click next to where she had exited. She spun towards the noise. "Master Barbossa?" she asked. No response. "Master Barbossa, is that you?" she tried again. No sound could be heard. For some time, Rose could only hear her heart's pounding, unsure of what stood right next to her. Finally, she heard a creaking of a floor board a ways away and assumed that her mind was playing tricks on her.

The night grew ever colder as Rose waited for Barbossa to retrieve her. For two hours she waited, until finally she could take no more. Risking barging in on business, Rose stood, feeling around desperately for the door handle. She grasped it, pulling on it and flinging herself through the entrance, once again regaining her sight. "Jack?" she yelled.

Jack rounded the corner quickly, seeing Rose shivering from the cold. "I was wondering where you were! Did you find Ben?"

"Ben?" she asked.

"I had assumed you had found Ben and were outside with him, since Barbossa didn't send you in!"

"Where is Barbossa?" she asked.

"He left hours ago!"

Rose's stomach burned with anger. So her mind _hadn't_ been playing tricks on her. "No," she said, jaw clenched. "I never moved from that crate."

Jack only laughed, grabbing Rose a warm blanket and waving the event off as a honest mistake, though Rose knew better. "Honestly," he laughed, "I wonder who has the night blindness; you or him! Anyways, where did we leave off? Oh yes! Swordsmanship is all about improvisation..."

But Rose had stopped listening. She knew why Barbossa didn't keep his word to fetch her. He wanted her gone. And what was worse, Ben had failed to keep his word to see her that night. She feared she might be slowly losing her friend for good.


	14. Chapter 13 - Hexfury

Unfortunately, as time went on, Rose discovered that she was justified in her fear regarding the increasingly negative opinions of her by Barbossa. Even more upsetting was the revelation that Barbossa's disdain seemed to spread like wildfire through the rest of the crew. She quickly discovered that all the crew members were not as keen on Rose's presence as the man she had first encountered onboard the _Pearl_ was. In fact, it seemed as though only Jack, Ben, and that man were on her side, and even Ben seemed more distant to her than ever, constantly running errands for the other men and giving Rose only an apologetic expression, as though he had no time for her. Rose knew this was not the case however, as she oftentimes could hear the Ben amongst a group of rowdy sailors on deck at night, gambling and drinking. Her invitation to him remained open, but he never seemed to wish to accept it.

Additionally, the men of the crew began accounting any mishap that happened onboard as a curse that had occurred only because there was a woman aboard. A rope on the mainsail broke one afternoon, recoiling and snapping straight into the right eye of one unfortunate fellow, causing him to lose the blasted thing. A day later, Rose saw the nervous man emerge from below deck being guided by Barbossa, a wooden eye filling his empty eye socket. Barbossa shot her a condemning glance, causing her to retreat back into Jack's quarters. She began to wonder if she really _did_ carry a curse when the _Pearl_ hit a large storm one evening.

Jack had told her to stay indoors, but Rose was tired of feeling like a nonentity. Perhaps if she could help the men onboard, she could prove herself worthy, and disprove the notion that she was a curse. However, Rose did not anticipate the chaos on deck. Large waves rocked the boat dramatically, and the rain was sending sailors slipping from one end of the deck to the other. Rose, in her desperation to prove herself, had temporarily forgotten her night blindness and was as a result unprepared for the large wave that hit the port side, carrying Rose with it and sending her toppling into the furious waves below.

Now, only two people had seen Rose fall; Barbossa thought that he was the only one to see her topple, grinning a yellow toothed grin and turning his back on the scene. But he was mistaken, for Ben also saw her fall and raised the alarm. Ropes were cast to save the the girl by Jack's orders as they scoured the wild waters below. But little did they know that Rose had already in that time braved the tossing waves, using her ears to find where the _Pearl_ was floating, and had swam for her life. She was currently clinging to the rope ladder on the side of the ship. She slowly climbed up to the top, throwing herself over on to the deck, where Jack rushed to her aid and dragged her back to safety. Despite the fact that the girl had saved herself, the men only took the mishap as one more strike against her.

The next morning, after having been lectured by Jack for her foolishness for the entire night, Rose went out on deck to find Ben, simply in hopes of talking like they used to. If he wasn't going to approach her, she was going to approach him. Since he joined the crew, he was so busy that they barely ever saw each other. Well, they _did_ see each other this time, although the means by which they did were less than positive.

Rose saw him conversing with a group of four other pirates, all easily over fifteen years his senior. As she approached, a short balding man cried out, "Ah look, gents. The Princess has emerged."

Rose's jaw hardened. "Kindly stop," she warned.

"Oh ho!" the man hooted. "She retaliates! Why don't ye go get yer brother to fight yer fights? He's done it fer ya this far!"

"I am perfectly capable of handling myself!"

Another man with a high-pitched voice piped up. "Aye! Perfectly capable of throwing herself off the ship, she is!" The five men began to laugh at this, including Ben. Rose was surprised that he wouldn't help defend her honor.

"Why don't ye get back to Tortuga where ya belong, landlubber?" another cried out.

Angrily, she spat, "I have just as much pirate blood in me as any of you!" Looking directly at Ben, she pointedly stated, "Some even more so!"

Ben's eyes shone with fury at Rose's direct shot at him, and plainly said, "Pirate indeed! Do you know what her idea of a fearsome pirate name is? Rose... _Hexfury._ "

As the men roared in laughter at the ridiculous name, Rose's eyes gleamed in rage at Ben, but he was unrepentant. She had lost yet another ally in her fight to stay aboard the _Pearl_.

She turned away, ashamed and face red, fleeing their cruelty and rushing up the stairs toward the helm. Only one other man stood up on that platform, and he was busy steering the ship. Certainly he posed no threat her. She picked a part of the railing on the starboard side, looking out at the horizon where the sun was setting.

"Miss Sparrow?" the quiet voice belonging to the man steering the wheel said.

"It's Teague!" she snapped without hesitation. She instantly regretted her impatience. This man had no way of knowing that 'Sparrow' wasn't her name. "My apologies, sir," she said with genuine regret, turning to him. "Oh!" she exclaimed when she saw him. The man at the wheel was none other than the kind man she had first encountered onboard the _Pearl_.

"No need to apologize, Miss," the man said. "I saw what happened down there. It's enough to make anyone a bit irksome."

"Aye," she said, all of a sudden feeling very immature for letting such a small insult humiliate her so. "It was all in good fun, I'm sure."

"Didn't sound like it," he replied. "You seemed very upset. I can talk to them if you like."

"Oh no," Rose said. "There's no need. I don't mean to cause trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. They _have_ to listen to me. I'm the Second Mate."

"You are?"

He extended a hand out to her. "William Turner is the name, but everyone calls me Bootstrap Bill. Bootstrap for short."

Rose took his hand and shook it. "Pleased to meet you, Bootstrap."

"My offer still stands," he said. "I could still talk with those men."

"That's alright, sir. Thank you." She turned away to bother him no more, but was stopped when a thought occurred to her. Ben was now fully on the side of his crew, and Jack only had made excuses for his men's prejudice towards her to avoid conflict. Perhaps she could get advice from this man, who seemed to have no malice toward her.

"Bootstrap?" she asked. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course, Miss."

"I'm not being a bother?"

"Not at all. What is on your mind?"

"You know the crew," she said. "I trust you to tell me how bad it is."

"I don't follow, miss."

"How much do they hate me?" she asked.

Bootstrap nodded in understanding. "Not hate. I think they fear you."

"But why?" she asked. "They have nothing to fear! I pose no threat!"

"No," replied Bootstrap. "I think that fear has been spread, and I have my own reasons for thinking that."

"Is it because I'm a woman?"

"Partly. But I wouldn't let that worry consume you."

Rose stepped closer to him, staring ahead at the sea the vessel had yet to travel. "This isn't what I expected," she murmured. "I knew that certain dangers laid ahead, but I expected to be of some use. Jack keeps me like some pet, the men find me a hindrance..." She shook her head. "I know I'm supposed to feel grateful, but I..." Her voice trailed off. There was nothing more to say. There is nothing more terrifying to the human spirit than when one's dreams fall short of one's expectations.

Bootstrap kindly replied, "Jack's doing the best he can, I'm sure. He wishes your well-being above anything else. I know a bit about this—I have a son your age. Perhaps slightly younger. There's a reason why he's with his mother and not with me."

"But there must be _something_ I can do! I need purpose! The men see it, I see it..."

"You want purpose?" Bootstrap said, suddenly realizing a solution.

"Of course!"

"Be Jack's advisor."

Rose was confused. "But isn't that what you and Barbossa are for?"

"And he doesn't pay either of us any mind," he said. "Tell me, Rose. Where are we heading?"

She pondered this, but came up short. "Barbossa ordered to head East, last I heard."

"And still, I steer the ship East. Jack has little to no plan for us and the men grow restless. Jack values your opinion. Encourage him to send us off in some direction for some reason, hopefully with some sort of riches involved. It will keep the men happy and give you a sense of purpose."

"I can do that!" Rose said, her heart racing with excitement. "I can be a liaison between Jack and the crew!"

"Precisely! You'll do it then?"

"Right away!" she cried. She opened her mouth to thank Bootstrap, but was cut off by—

"Rose!" Jack cried below, calling to get her attention.

"Oh!" Rose said, waving to him. She turned back to Bootstrap to bid him farewell, but he only waved her off, as if to say, _Go ahead! He needs you._

She rushed down the stairs, only to be met by the balding man Rose had encountered poking fun at her earlier, cackling wildly. "Oh no Cap'n! Her name's Rose _Hexfury_ now, haven't ye heard?"

As he departed, Jack cocked his head to the side. "Hexfury?"

Rose clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. "Ben's idea of a joke," she said plainly.

Jack could see that his sister was upset, leading her to the port railing and leaning up against it with her. "Master McHenry has become a little _too_ eager to please the other men, has he not?"

Rose sighed, "Yes," she said. "And I'm afraid I've lost him forever because of it."

Jack paused a moment, then said again, "Hexfury. You know, it's not half bad."

Rose snorted, "Oh come now."

"No I mean it! 'Rose Hexfury...' It's intimidating. I can rest easy knowing that no man will harm me sister, for they would dare not battle with the dreaded Rose Hexfury!"

She smiled, though her eyes were still troubled.

"Chin up, lass. I know it's hard amongst these knaves, but yer with me! And as long as you are, you're untouchable."

If only that promise were true, but not even Jack had a way of knowing just how much danger awaited the both of them.


	15. Chapter 14 - Meaningless

Rose decided not to ask Jack right away what Bootstrap had recommended, and instead decided to take a more concrete approach. Right away, she went into Jack's study and grabbed several of his charts, returning to where Bootstrap stood vigil at the wheel. With his help, she committed to memory several different potential headings that might gain the vessel riches and adventure.

Rose thanked Bootstrap again, rushing back to her brother's quarters. She excitedly burst through the door, but quickly fell silent upon hearing several voices in his room. She would have waited outside out of respect had she not heard Ben's voice among them. She quickly dove into an alcove where she couldn't be seen, holding her breath and listening intently as to what was transpiring within.

"...uncomfortable, sir," was all she could make out of what Ben was saying.

Jack replied, "Is that so? I haven't seen or heard anything of the sort."

"Well, with all due respect sir, you _wouldn't_. She sneaks out of here in the night."

 _She._ Rose's heart dropped upon hearing that they spoke of her.

Ben continued. "Her infatuation with me is distracting. She becomes jealous when I can't commit time to her. It's becoming a hindrance, sir."

"I find it difficult to believe that she comes to bother you in the night, what with her _night blindness_ ," Jack said. Rose breathed a sigh of relief knowing that her brother wasn't buying any of this nonsense Ben was feeding him.

"Are we certain that her night blindness isn't just a ruse?" Barbossa's voice asked Jack. Rose's stomach burned with fury. So _that_ was why Ben was here. She wasn't certain what angered her more, the fact that Barbossa had convinced Ben to invent a tale against her or that Ben had been so willing to go along with it.

"Yes, Barbossa," Jack said sarcastically, "I'm sure the lass _invented_ her condition. There's no doubt in my mind that she's telling the truth, and that's that."

"Regardless," Barbossa said, "You heard the lad. She's only in the way, Jack. She's a hindrance and, some of the men believe, a curse to have aboard."

"I'm the Captain, and if I say she's to stay, she'll stay!"

"The men are prepared to act, Jack, and I'm not certain even I can stop them."

This brought conversation to a dead stop between them. Rose's pulse pounded in her ears as she waited for someone to say something, _anything_.

Finally, it was Barbossa who spoke up. "Methinks we respond with my original proposal."

"Out of the question!" Jack said.

"The witch mentioned a girl! How do you know it isn't Rose?"

"I'm not going to trade my sister for a trinket!"

"A trinket that is promised to bring us to riches beyond all reason, if you'll recall..."

"It's not happening!"

"So what am I to tell your men then? That their Captain refuses to hear their concerns?"

Once again silence fell, until Jack finally said, "Head to the bayou. We shall see what she says. _If_ Rose is not the right girl, she returns to the _Pearl._ Is that understood?"

Rose could tell this conversation was quickly coming to a close, and not wanting to be discovered, darted into the room.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," she said to Barbossa and Ben, as though nothing had transpired. "Jack," she said to her brother, "I wish to speak with you alone if you don't mind."

Jack stammered, "Er...certainly," and with that, the other two men left the room. She could feel Ben's gaze on her, but dared not return it. She waited until she heard the door click shut that she began her desperate plea.

"You know they are only trying to be rid of me, don't you?"

"Rose..." Jack said in a calm voice.

"You can't possibly believe them!"

"Of course I don't, but I have a ship to command!"

"Then command it, Jack!" Rose cried. She rushed to his desk where he stood, throwing down the charts she had been clutching. "I brought these to Bootstrap! He instructed me to give you several headings because you'll listen to me! The crew grows weary of merely traveling without a heading. You can't just bask in the glory of being a captain without captaining!"

"Will you please shut it?" Jack yelled, rendering her silent. Once she finally gave him the floor, he said in a softer voice, "You have no idea how hard I've worked to get this ship, this crew, this _life_. I can't lose it all. If seeing Tia Dalma will help convince them that you belong here, I'll do what I must."

"Who is Tia Dalma?" asked Rose.

"A bayou witch. A voo-doo priestess, soothsayer, general all-knower and collector of all things gross and spooky," Jack explained. "She runs a shack up North and I've gone to her several times for answers. She told me that she seeks a girl to be her apprentice. I am to deliver that girl to her, and in exchange she will give me an item promised to save my life, powerful enough to send nations into battle or something like that."

Rose nodded slowly in understanding. "She means me."

"We don't know that," he replied. "There are lots of girls out there, it's doubtful you're the one she means. If I can just get you there and convince the men that she does not mean you, we can be in our merry way and forget this whole matter."

Rose looked up at Jack. "What if I _am_ the one she means?"

Jack's lack of a response gave her all she needed to hear. He would naturally have to hand her over, receive his prize and leave her with a stranger again, probably on some loose promise of his eventual return.

She laughed bitterly. "You really do love her, don't you? The _Pearl?_ " She took her half of the mother of pearl necklace which hung around her neck, symbolizing their kinship, and tossed it on the desk in front of Jack. "Does that mean _nothing_ to you?" With that, she spun on her heel, briskly walked out of the room and sat on the crate Barbossa had left her waiting upon over a week ago. She sat there all night, letting her night blindness take over. She resented everything that was befalling her. She hated the man who killed her mother, the men who separated and sold her off, she hated the McHenry's, she hated the _Pearl,_ and she hated Teague...

 _Teague._

The ever-present reminder of her lineage to the man who knew nothing about her by his own choice in the form of the surname she shared with him. Jack had distanced himself from their father by changing his last name to "Sparrow," which suited him well. Suddenly, the idea of donning the name "Hexfury" didn't seem so ridiculous. Jack approved, and even more so, it reminded Rose of a simpler time. A time where the world was confined only by the limits of her imagination, and the _Black Pearl_ was her deliverance. A time when her faith in Jack was steadfast, not sailing on troubled waters as it was now.

 _If it's Rose Hexfury they want,_ Rose thought to herself, _Then it's Rose Hexfury they'll get._


	16. Chapter 15 - Promises Made and Broken

Upon arriving, Jack had made arrangements for several of the men to come into the longboat with him and Rose to make the journey within the bayou, including Barbossa.

Rose marched across the deck, head high, as though all the men's eyes were on her. Ben grabbed her shoulder as she passed by him.

"Rose!" he whispered. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's Miss Hexfury," Rose spat. "Not Rose, not Miss Teague, _Miss Hexfury_. I've picked my side, and you've picked yours!"

Ben looked hurt. "Rose, I—"

"I don't believe I asked you to come along, Master McHenry," Jack said, stepping between the two. He gave a questioning glance to Rose to see if this was the right action to take, and though she was inwardly grateful, she kept her eyes forward and kept moving.

She _did_ stop upon seeing Bootstrap, however. He smiled sadly at her, saying only, "Chin up, lass. You'll go far!" She smiled with gratitude, and he and Jack helped her climb over the railing and down into the longboat. Barbossa and the three other men Jack had picked to come along waited below, and once they had taken their seats, oars were dipped into the sea and they began their journey towards land. As they departed, Rose took one final look at the ship she might never see again. She had thought the _Black Pearl_ would be her home for far longer than it was, and choked back her emotion when she saw Ben appear over the railing, staring sorrowfully down at her. She returned his stare until she his image was but a speck, then turned in time to catch one glimpse of the bayou before her world was enveloped in darkness.

The bayou's atmosphere was warm and humid, and the air was fairly stagnant. Dense plant life invaded the land, growing upwards when it no longer could grow outwards, and therefore blocking out all sunlight. Rose was plunged into eternal night, and therefore total blindness. She jumped when she heard a large splash on her left, but felt Jack's hand on her knee.

"Alligator," he murmured.

"Alligator?" she said hoarsely. "Is it nearby?"

"It's no threat to us," he assured her.

A faint laugh informed Rose that there were several bayou dwellers that lived here, but the voyage was taking far longer than she expected it to. Where was this Tia Dalma, and just how far into the bayou did she dwell?

Finally, Rose heard the lapping of waves against what was presumably a dock, and felt the boat come to a halt next to it. Jack helped her up, and taking her hands, led her out of the boat and up several stairs, guiding her inside Tia Dalma's shack.

When the door opened, Rose's sight gradually was restored, though she wished it hadn't. The shack was really just one large room that had a large banyan tree growing in through one of its walls. The room had a somewhat vaulted ceiling, though it was nearly impossible to tell what with the hundreds of jars, bottles, and various trinkets suspended from it. The whole room was a menagerie of hoarded goods, preserved body parts, herbs, spices, plants, books, furniture, jewelry, and a large boa constrictor snake that nearly made Rose jump out of her skin.

"Tia Dalma!" Jack called.

That's when Rose first saw her, though the woman could have easily blended in to her home like a chameleon. She appeared from a side room that Rose hadn't even noticed she was so distracted. She had long, twisted hair like Jack's, dark skin, large, piercing eyes, elaborate amounts of jewelry and a dress that resembled more of a tangled fisherman's net than a gown.

"Jack!" she cooed in a thick accent. "Ye 'ave returned so soon!"

Jack instantly turned in his charms, grinning and saying gallantly, "Who could stay away from a place like this and a lady such as yourself?"

"Ye 'ave yer beloved _Pearl_?" she asked.

"Couldn't have done it without you, love!" he replied.

She suddenly grew very serious. "And da souls?"

Jack waved her off, "All in good time! We've come here on another errand!"

Barbossa had entered behind Jack and Rose. "Tia Dalma!" he greeted her.

The soothsayer did not greet him as warmly as she had Jack. She gave a slight nod and said softly, "Barbossa."

Barbossa continued his speech one two of the three other sailors had entered, leaving one to watch over the longboat. "We come to inquire as to the acquiring of yer trinket ye promised Jack."

Tia Dalma narrowed her eyes. "Not withoud payment," she croaked.

Barbossa swept dramatical around Jack to Rose, placing both of his black-nailed hands on her shoulders. "Feast yer eyes!" he said.

Tia began murmuring something to herself something that was not in English or French, as Rose could not understand it. She drew her face quite close to Rose's, looking straight into her eyes. She finally said to the men, "Dis not be da girl."

Barbossa stomped to Tia, leering over her threateningly. "Surely there must be some mistake," he growled.

Tia Dalma only glared up at him, saying with a level voice. "No. Dis be da wrong girl."

"Splendid!" Jack cried, clapping a hand on Rose's shoulder. "We'll just be on our way then and bother you no further! Rose, shall we go then?"

"Yes, let's!" Rose said, all to eager to be rid of the creepy place.

"Just a moment!" Barbossa called out before the siblings left the room. They turned back to him, and Rose saw that he now held between his dirty fingers a silver crab-shaped pendant. He looked over to Tia Dalma, who stood looking furiously at him. "Don't you wish to know which girl the priestess speaks of?"

Jack narrowed his eyes, watching the unspoken rivalry between Barbossa and Tia Dalma unfold wordlessly before them, and wisely saying, "Oh now, let's not disturb the spooky obeah woman! She must have much blood sacrificing to get to!"

Barbossa ignored Jack, saying in a sickeningly sweet tone, "Tia Dalma, could you possibly use your _powers_ to give us some sort of clue?"

Tia Dalma only stared at the ground, voice dark as she muttered, "Da girl who I speak be searchin' for ye. She is guided by love, but burns with hate. She be a woman scorned, and wishes ye ill."

Rose looked to Jack, who was considering her riddle. Suddenly, he said, "I know it. I know who she means!"

"Where is she?" Rose asked.

"Not certain," he replied. "She could be any number of places."

"Where _is_ she, Tia Dalma?" Barbossa asked, examining the necklace closer.

"She be near," the woman said through gritted teeth, keeping her gaze fixated on the necklace he held. "Head west. She travelin' by sea."

"Thank you so very much, Tia Dalma," Jack said. "Now gents and lady? Shall we—"

He was interrupted again by a new noise. A soft melody echoed from the necklace that Barbossa held. He had opened it, revealing it to be a music box. When the locket clicked shut, Barbossa looked out of the corner of his eyes back to Tia Dalma, who then spoke the words that spelled out Rose's doom:

 _I be needin' yer sister, Jack._

Jack laughed. "Sister? What sister?"

She turned and looked at him. "Rose Hexfury."

Rose was floored. How did this woman possibly know about her newly adopted name change?

Jack stammered, "Come now, Tia. You said she's the wrong girl! What good could possibly come of keeping her here?"

"Da girl stays he-ere."

Barbossa flung the locket at Tia, who struggled to catch it as it flew through the air. "I think this is wisest, Jack," he said. "Tia Dalma gets her payment, the men get their wish. I would take her generous offer."

Rose looked up to Jack, pleading with him nonverbally to deny them and let her stay. Jack looked back down at her, and she could see the uncertainty he felt. "Just a moment," he said, pulling Rose into the side room.

Under her breath, she whispered to Jack, "Do you see? He has blackmailed her, you can tell!"

Jack pulled her close and stooped down so that his eyes were level with hers. "Listen to me," he whispered. "I will not abandon you."

Rose's eyes went wide when she realized that he was telling her that he _was_ indeed going to leave her there. "Jack, no! You can't let him control you like this!"

"I do see Barbossa's act, I assure you," he said. "Let me go retrieve the girl. When I do, I'll reap the reward, which supposedly will give me immense power. Together, we'll overpower him."

"He's already overpowered _you_!"

"So he thinks!" Jack whispered, smiling. "We'll show him otherwise!"

"How many years _this_ time, Jack? How many years will you leave me on your promise?"

Jack pursed his lips at this, muttering sadly, "I don't know. All I can promise is that I will track her down right away, and when I do we will return immediately."

Rose look down, exasperated. For too long she had waited for Jack to set things right, and not even after three years was he able to right his wrongs. She had no choice but to stay here, this much she had surrendered to. But she wondered just how much more of Jack's "promises" she could stand before she lost hope in him altogether.

"Hey," Jack said, slightly louder, getting her attention. "I've brought along a few more things to add to your effects." He produced a pistol and holster, looping it around her belt. "To shoot, pull back this trigger and press that one back," he instructed.

"But you'll need this!" she protested.

He patted his cutlass on the other side of his own belt. "I improvise, remember?" He then handed her a pouch which clinked when it fell into her palm. "It's not much," he said, "But a few shillings will get you at least somewhere."

Finally, he untied something from the front of his belt, tying it to hers. "And this," he said. Rose examined what he had fastened to her, seeing that it was one half of the mother of pearl pendant set of two that their father had indirectly passed on to them. Rose had thrown hers the day before at Jack in frustration, and now he was returning it to her.

She examined it closer. "But," she said. "This is _your_ pendant."

He grabbed the other from her, which had formally belonged to her and now currently hung on his belt. "I'll _have_ to come back then," he said with a smile.

Rose smiled, choking back her emotions as they welled up inside her. Jack wrapped his arm around her and led her back out into the main room where the others were waiting.

She bid her brother a final farewell, though he promised again of his return shortly. She held tight to her brother's pendant as the door closed behind him. She was left alone with the soothsayer, and never before did she feel so alone.


	17. Chapter 16 - Tia Dalma

Running. Rose was running quickly through dense jungle. She could tell by how the vines, leaves, and branches tugged at her clothes and whipped her face as she ran, otherwise the rest of her world was shrouded by her night blindness. Quicker she ran, as something nefarious was in pursuit. She tripped on a rogue tree root and went careening headfirst into a clearing. Here, enough daylight shone through to restore her vision once more. A man stood in the clearing, his back to her. Rose looked down and quickly gathered herself, but stopped upon discovering that she was no longer a girl, but a woman. Suddenly, she found herself very self-conscious about walking upon her lanky legs, and she shakily approached the man in front of her. She knew this man. When she touched his shoulder he turned, though his facial features were foreign to her, concealed in shadows. Despite this, she trusted him, and he took her in his arms and held her. She was comfortable there, and felt safe knowing he was holding her tightly in his firm embrace. This lasted for but a moment, however, as he ended the embrace by shoving Rose violently away from him. No longer was the ground solid, and she fell deep down into a treacherous pit, watching her traitorous friend smiling devilishly at her descent from above.

When she hit the bottom of the pit, Rose awoke with a start. It was only a dream. She was still fifteen-year old Rose, still in the bayou with Tia Dalma, still just…waiting.

She had been disturbed by the nightmare in the middle of the night, and she could not see a thing in the room she was in. The room upstairs was to be her home for the next…however long Jack would be detained this time. This room was small, misshapen, rhombus-like in both width and height. The banyan tree continued to grow through the architecture of the shack and into this room, making it even more uneven, unleveled, and unbearably small. Rose had a temporary living space upon two large crates, which made for a very uncomfortable sleeping space. It had taken ages for her to finally go to sleep, and now, in the middle of the night, there was no hope in her trying to return back to her slumber. So instead, Rose sat up and stumbled around until she found the window overlooking the bayou. To her great surprise, Rose could see little hovering lights in the distance. They would bob and float for awhile, then extinguish, then illuminate once again. They were sporadic, but hypnotic. Rose would ultimately come to discover that these lights were actually fireflies, but for the moment, their mysterious qualities filled the large, empty void inside her.

Tia finally arrived with a candelabra to retrieve her, never questioning the girl's night blindness. Wordlessly, Rose followed her down the crooked, narrow stairs that led into the main room. Tia motioned for Rose to sit, and upon doing so, she was served a steaming bowl of beige-colored broth.

Rose grimaced, poking at the lumpy soup with her spoon. "What's this?" she asked as politely as she could.

"Food," was the only reply she got, then Tia Dalma disappeared into the side storage room. It was clear that the soothsayer was just as displeased with having to care for Rose as Rose was at having to stay at the dilapidated hospice.

Rose slurped unenthusiastically at the 'food,' though even categorizing it as an edible form of sustenance was a bit of a stretch. Suddenly, the door swung wide open on its hinge, as a large, muscular bayou-dweller marched inside. He and Rose exchanged a confused glance, each silently asking the other _Who are you, and what are you_ _doing here?_

"Tia Dalma!" the man cried out.

Tia answered to the call, sweeping through the beaded curtain that led into the main room. She leaned on one hip and bit her lip seductively. "Ayyyy…" she croaked. "Id has been far too long!"

The man walked so that he was looming imposingly over Tia, saying in her same accent, "Da pigs 'ave da fever agin. Can ya charm dem from da sickness?"

Tia Dalma placed a finger to his lips. "Fer a price," she cooed.

He grinned. "Oh I brought payment…" He leaned down, kissing her neck as she giggled. Tia then looked over, seeing a disturbed-looking Rose still sitting at the table, mouth agape. Tia only widened her eyes, motioning with her head and a tight jaw for the girl to go upstairs and stay there.

Rose was more than happy to leave the awkward situation, taking the candelabra with her for sight. She closed the door to her room behind her, taking a good, long look at the great mess of the tiny storage room. She set the candelabra down and began to investigate the many dusty, cobweb strewn crates and piles of stacked and hoarded goods. Ultimately, more than half of the items were broken, expired, or unidentifiable. Rose began to form a pile of these things to take out of the room. If she was going to live here for God only knew how long, she was going to make a livable abode. Besides the garbage, there were rich, luscious fabrics and other luxury items found throughout the place. Rose counted five trunks, three armchairs, and four crates in separate corners of the room. However, there were no cushions anywhere in sight. Rose was not about to live the rest of her time here cozying up to a hard wooden plank bed, so instead she used one of the draperies and some rope to fashion a hammock, tying one end to a study beam and the other to a branch of the banyan tree that was growing through the wall. She situated it so that she could look out the window from the hammock when she was restless so she could watch the fireflies by night.

When she heard Tia's male visitor leave the shack, Rose gathered the garbage she had collected and began her descent down the stairs to properly dispose of it all. Unfortunately, Rose was still not accustomed to the uneven steps and lost her footing, tripping down the rest of the way and falling straight into a large dresser. The large wooden piece of furniture tipped over, crashing to the ground and sending all of its contents spilling all over the floor.

Tia Dalma flew into the room. "Fool!" she cried. "Look ad whad you've done!"

"I'm sorry!" Rose cried, looking over the damage she had caused. "I was just cleaning out the room upstairs—"

"Who sed ya could do dat?"

"It's my room, I only thought—"

"Id is NOT yer room! I'm lettin' ya stay 'ere."

"If I am to live here, I may as well do _something_!"

"Besides makin' a mess o' things?"

Rose motioned to the bundle of trash in her arms. "These things are ruined! You can't possibly have any use for them!"

Tia Dalma stomped over to the girl, yanking the things away from her. "Dey are _my_ things! Ye shall not throw any of dem away, ye hear?" Rose nodded bitterly, and as Tia walked away, placing each item in a new home around the main room. She turned back to Rose, saying, "Put demm back how ya found 'em!"

Rose realized she was talking about the contents of the dresser she had knocked over. She leaned down, lifting the large piece of furniture back upright and picking up as many of the tiny drawers as her hands could carry, seeing that their contents were dried up leaves and flowers.

"But, they're leaves! They all look alike! How will I know—"

"You'll learn!" Tia yelled, pushing aside the beaded curtain into the side room and sweeping inside it.

Rose huffed, kneeling down by the seemingly endless scattered piles of dried nonsense. She first separated them by color, then size, then was left with a large pile of green that she had no idea what to do with. She looked over and saw Tia judging her through the beaded curtain.

"What are these?" Rose asked.

"Herbs," Tia replied. "Fer sickness n' healin'."

Rose gulped. "I can replace the rest. Tell me where to find them and I'll retrieve more."

"Nay," said Tia. "Ya _will_ retrieve more soon, but fer now, ya will separate da rest."

Rose shook her head. "It's impossible!"

"Ya 'ave two more senses, as I recall. Taste n' smell."

Rose narrowed her eyes, then began picking up leaf by leaf, smelling and tasting each one. It took the rest of the day, but ultimately, she was able to delineate which herb was which.

At one point when Tia passed by her, Rose said, "I like the smell of this one. What is it?"

Tia leaned over and smelled the leaf Rose held out to her. "Monarda," she finally said. "Fer da skin."

While she had her stopped, Rose grabbed one of the small drawers, filled with wide, pointy leaves. "And these?"

"Comfrey."

"What do they do?"

"Many tings. Bones, skin, burns…"

This interrogation continued about each drawer so long that Tia ultimately had to kneel next to Rose to answer all her questions. Rose was making mental notes in her head about all that Tia was telling her.

In the morning, Tia Dalma awoke and entered the main room only to find Rose still hard at work.

"Whad ar ya doin'?" she asked, still rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Rose spun around, and grinned proudly. "Look!" she cried. "I've labeled each drawer with the plant's name, then arranged the drawers based on their uses." She began to point them out as she explained. "See, here is the skin, here are the one for stomach pains, here is eyesight, and over there is infections." She looked back at Tia for some sort of reaction, and caught the soothsayer smiling with only her eyes.

Finally, the woman said, "Get some rest. Ya 'ave been at dis fer da whole night."

* * *

"Rose!"

Rose was awakened in the late afternoon by the sound of Tia's voice coming from downstairs.

She rolled out of her hammock and walked down the stairs to answer the call. She found Tia sitting calmly behind her table in the main room, while a fellow bayou dweller woman held her young son by the shoulders, who was writhing in pain.

"Dis woman's boy be burned," Tia said to Rose, leaning forward with gleaming eyes. "Whad herb ya be giving dem?"

Rose swallowed. This was a real patient with a real problem. Tia was challenging her, testing her knowledge of the herbs she had just reorganized.

Walking down the stairs and over to the boy, Rose asked to see the burn. She slightly recoiled when she saw how raw the skin of the boy's hand was. She gulped, looking to Tia for any sort of sign, but she found only her stoic expression looking back at her.

"Well," Rose began. "We have several hypericum leaves…"

"And whad do dey do wid dem?" Tia asked.

Rose considered this for a moment, then remembering, said, "I can grind them into an ointment that you should apply to the burn." She then looked to Tia to see if she was correct.

Tia _did_ nod, signaling that she was right in her prescription, but also said, "Aloe be stronger, n' more potent ferr dis sort of burn."

Rose felt disappointment and anger well up inside her, though seeing Tia Dalma's encouraging smile certainly made her feel ever so slightly accomplished. She smiled back, then went to cut a stem of fresh growing aloe for the mother and son.


	18. Chapter 17 - The Right Girl

It had been nearly four months.

Rose sat by her window, watching the sunlight-dappled bayou rest peacefully, undisturbed. The occasional splash of a fish or an alligator disturbing the calm lapping of the tide would interrupt her meditative state, but all was generally still.

That was until Rose heard a boat full of men approaching. As per custom, Rose instinctively leaned out of the window and drew the shutters, then remained in her hammock, waiting for Tia's word if she needed it. Otherwise? Rose was not to disturb the priestess. Rose had grown accustomed to this process, but was willing to throw all of her training by the wayside as soon as she heard Tia coo the one name she craved so desperately to hear:

"Jack Spaaaarrrrooow!"

Rose leapt up from her bed and raced out of the room and down the stairs. "Jack!" she cried, racing to her brother, who stood in the center of the room. "Rose!" he said happily, grinning a gold-toothed smile.

She threw her arms around him in a firm embrace. "You're back sooner than I expected! Have you found her?" she said, referring to the girl Tia needed as her apprentice.

He nodded with excitement. Standing straighter, he announced to Tia, "I hope to perhaps try again."

Tia raised her eyebrows at him. "De right one dis time?"

"We'll see," he replied, motioning to two of his men standing at the door to retrieve something from the boat that was tied to the dock.

Rose's hopes soared at the thought of her freedom, but she had to remind herself to remain logical in this moment. If this woman was the right person, Rose could return with Jack. If not, however, would she still be prisoner here?

The door suddenly burst open, revealing a raven-haired woman several years older than Rose, wrists bound and fighting against the two men who held her arms firm against her struggling.

Suddenly, she stopped all her resistance to observe her surroundings. She quickly took in all of the trinkets hanging above her head and all throughout the ceiling. She narrowed her eyes in confusion at Tia Dalma, looked with disdain at Rose, and then shot a fiery glare at Jack. " _Bastardo_!" she cried. " _¿Crees que sólo puedes dejarme aquí así?_ "

Rose's eyes went wide. To Jack, she muttered, "She's very…angry."

"And Spanish," he replied.

Tia Dalma swept around the two of the them over to where this newcomer continued to fight against her captors like a ferrel beast. She looked her up and down, staring into her eyes with silent fascination. From behind, Rose saw her start to nod slowly, then turn back to her and her brother. "Dis be da one."

Jack clapped his hands together once in excitement. "Excellent!" he cried cheerily. "Then we leave the Castilian serpent here, and I'll be out of your way! I can take R—"

"No," Tia said sharply.

"N…no?" Jack asked, taken aback.

"No. Rose stays 'ere."

Rose was in disbelief. "But you said I'm not the right one! This girl _is!_ You have no further use for me!"

She turned around to face the protesting siblings. "Until da tides turn, ye cannot go aboard, and turned dey have not!"

Rose felt her eyes start to fill with tears, and struggled to maintain composure and hide her disappointment.

"So you're just going to leave me here, then? That's the plan?" the Spanish girl spat at Jack.

Jack considered this for a moment, then replied, "Yep. Pretty much that's it."

"Is this what you do with all your prisoners?" she sneered. "You drop them off at this…shack?"

Tia Dalma swept back around at the insult, holding the girl by the jaw. "Dis be no 'shack.' Ye mind yer manners when ye be in my home. Ye hear?" The girl's eyes shone in silent fury as a response until Tia finally let her go.

Tia stalked away, sitting back down in her chair in the back of the room. "And let me make one ting clear _,"_ she said pointedly to her. "No one 'ere be a prisoner. Id is der destiny."

The girl furrowed her brow. "How would _you_ know anything of my destiny?"

Tia spun around, saying over her shoulder, "Dere be much ya 'ave yet to learn, _Angelica."_

The girl, whose name was revealed to be Angelica, narrowed her eyes. "How…how do you…?"

Jack chimed in, interrupting. "You'll have much to discuss while your here, which, with any luck," he said to Tia, "Will be a _very_ long time." To his men, he ordered for Angelica's release, though her wrists remained bound in front of her. Jack looked back to Rose.

"I'm sorry," he said sadly.

Rose could only nod in response. She knew that if she said anything, her emotions would get the best of her.

"Is isn't too terrible here, though, is it? You'd tell me if it was?"

Rose wanted to say exactly how it was. It was lonely. And confining. Rose wanted to explore and be free. Instead? She was trapped here. Unable to escape due to her night blindness and unable to be with her brother. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. Jack was trying. He never wanted to leave her with Tia, nor did he want to leave her here again in this moment. So, she felt obligated to squeak out a, "No. It's fine."

Jack laid a firm hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "The next time I see you, it will be when we are reunited on the _Pearl._ This I vow! I've already returned for you twice, I certainly can do it again once those bloody tides turn!" Rose let out the bravest smile she could muster, and embraced her brother, but a bitter voice cut through their moment.

"And what of me?" Angelica cried out to Jack. "When will the next time be that I see _you?"_

Jack considered this for a moment, then replied curtly, "In hell, with any luck." His eyes grew distant, as though he were trying to decide whether or not to say anything more to her. But finally, he determined that he had said enough, and briefly called over his shoulder, "Ta!" which sent his prisoner hurling into more Spanish profanities. Were she still not confined, Rose knew that this woman would have spiraled into another bout of physical rage toward her brother. Thankfully, Tia stopped any further violence by stepping between them, holding an outstretched hand out to Jack that held a palm-sized square object.

"As promised," she stated simply.

Jack held his hands close to his chest, as though he was frightened to touch the item. " _That's_ what I bought? By bringing her to you?"  
Tia narrowed her eyes. "…yes," she said warningly.

He pursed his lips. "But it's so…small."

Tia clenched her jaw and said nothing, only holding her hand out closer to him so that he had to take the object. When he finally did, undid a small clasp on the front of the item and opened a small hinging door that swung upwards. Rose finally deduced that the object was, in fact, a compass. She looked at Jack to gauge his reaction. He squinted in confusion, doing some mental calculations and coming up devoid of answers.

"Sometin' wrong?" Tia asked, hints of exasperation in her voice.

"Um…" Jack began, clearly giving her an answer. "Well…it um…"

"Yes?"

"It…doesn't point north."

"Yes."

"You're aware of this?"

"Yes."

"I've bought a…broken item from you?"

Tia grew quickly offended. "Id works fine!" she said.

" _This_ compass is powerful enough to send nations into battle, as you promised?"

"For dem rough waters ahead, ye be needin' dis compass! Take id or leave id."

Angelica only laughed. "I hope it causes you to crash into a reef," she spat at Jack. "That's what you get for selling me off for some pagan idol!"

Jack grimaced, curtly replying, "Yes, well, maybe we'll meet again in the next twenty or so years… _when you're still here."_ He then spun on his heel and made moves to exit the house.

Rose ran after her brother as he descended the porch after giving a tip of his hat to Tia. "Where are you off to now?" Rose asked him, in a desperate attempt made in vain to stall her brother and keep him longer.

Jack stopped suddenly on the stairs, crying out far too loudly, "Isla de Muerta!" This caused the two intimidating sailors he had brought along to stop their progress in preparing the dinghy for voyaging back to the _Pearl_ and look back at their captain. Jack continued to shout grandly, "For treasures and riches that are surely to come, right boys?"

The two men exchanged a look before each giving a firm grunt in response, then going back to their work. Jack seized the opportunity at having lost their attention to quickly whisper under his breath to Rose, _"I'm doomed."_

Her eyes widened upon hearing this, but before she had time enough to respond, her brother had already fled back into the boat. Rose called after him, "Jack, what? What did you say?"

"Really, love," he cried back. "I've told you time and time again to have someone check out your hearing! It's really becoming a hindrance!"

 _WHAT IS HAPPENING?_ Rose thought to herself, mind racing. As the small boat retreated back into the depths of the bayou and Rose began to lose sight of the three men as they retreated further into the shadows, Rose yelled out to her brother one final time, "Jack! Please take care!"

The only thing she heard him say back to her was a simple phrase: _Au revoir_ , a French word which means, "to see again."

But _would_ Rose see her brother again? And if so, when?


	19. Chapter 18 - Blind Hate

The walk back up the stairs and into the main room was one of the longest and hardest walks Rose ever had to make. Her heart was heavy from the disappointment that had ensued, and her mind was racing with the confusion of what in full had just transpired. Tia would know, Rose reasoned, and she would tell her if she asked. But now there was this newcomer—what purpose would she serve?

"Tia Dalma!" Rose called, pushing the door open. She halted upon seeing the stranger, and not Tia, standing alone in the room, drinking from a mug that Tia had obviously given for her to drink. She froze, as though Angelica were some sort of wild jungle beast, and she was uncertain of every move and glance.

"She's in the back," Angelica explained, eyeing Rose up and down. Rose gulped, then took several steps forward to press on past this untrustworthy acquaintance. Just as she passed, the girl blocked her progress by stepping directly in front of her. "Ah ah ah!" she chirped. "You haven't told me your name…"

"It's Rose," Rose said hesitantly.

Angelica suddenly offered her hand out to her in an unexpected act of a geniality. "Angelica," she introduced herself. Rose took her hand and shook it. "No last name?" Angelica asked.

"Hexfury," Rose replied.

After a moment, Angelica threw her head back and burst into riotous laughter. When she saw that Rose was not laughing as well, she quickly stopped, though still she giggled, "Oh. I didn't realize that was a real name."

Rose only blinked at her, then turned away to find Tia.

"You seem a bit young for Jack's taste," she called, once again stopping her. "Although I could be wrong..."

Rose spun around to face her. "We're siblings!"

She laughed again. "How adorable! Well, if Jack treats his sister in any way close to how he treats his women, I wouldn't expect him to keep his promise and 'return for you,' as he said."

"We'll be together again," Rose said simply, trying to stay calm.

"Aye, so will he and I," she said, looming over Rose. "We'll be together again when I have a knife to his throat!"

Rose widened her eyes, but could not respond in time, as Tia reentered the room, basket and oil lamp in both of her hands. She walked right to Rose and placed the items in her hands.

"Go," she said. "Go to da patch I showed ya. Find fresh herbs. We all out of feverfew."

"But-" Rose protested, but was quickly silenced by a glare from her master. Rose swallowed her bitterness and begrudgingly stomped out into the bayou's muddy shores. She kept the lantern far from her body so she could see in front of her, ever aware of wild, dangerous animals that lurked around every corner.

Rose found the patch of herbs that Tia had shown her a month prior, and tarried longer upon finding other plants she recognized. She picked flowers and leaves, testing herself on their names and uses, and found solace in not having to think about Angelica, Jack, Tia, Ben, or anything unjust that had happened to her.

Rose stopped upon hearing a stirring in the grass behind her. She quickly whipped around and shrieked upon coming face to face with Angelica herself.

"What are you doing here?" she yelled.

"Shh!" Angelica silenced her. "Breathe a _word_ to her and I swear it is the last thing you'll ever do!"

"What?!" Rose asked in alarm.

Angelica just rolled her eyes and kept pushing through the foliage. Rose finally deduced that already Angelica had planned to escape. Putting her lantern and basket on the ground around her, she drew her sword. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Angelica," she said bravely.

Angelica only laughed, drawing her own sword. "Oh is that so? What, are you going to _kill_ me?"

Rose swallowed her nervousness, only replying, "If need be, then yes."

Angelica's eyes gleamed evilly, and Rose could tell she was about to strike. _Improvise,_ she heard Jack say, as Angelica swiftly delivered two strikes, sending Rose's unsteady hand veering wildly with each blow.

Angelica laughed again at Rose's lack of defense. "Did Jack teach you to fight?" she asked. Rose dared not reply. Angelica kept her blade pointed at Rose's chest, noting, "You have good footwork, a good stance, but a miserable parry. Hit me."

Rose narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"I said hit me!" Angelica repeated.

Rose took a deep breath, then swung her right arm backwards to deliver her blow, but was completely knocked on the ground when her attacker swung her leg out and knocked Rose's legs out from under her.

"Sorry I can't stay for the lesson," Angelica called, making her final retreat. "Give my regards to the pagan priestess! I'll send _much love_ to your brother for you!"

Rose struggled to sit up, having just had the wind knocked out of her, but by the time she did, Angelica had disappeared. What was worse, Rose had knocked over the lantern during her fall, spilling the oil and extinguishing the light. Now she was blind, alone, and completely disoriented in the swamp. She could do nothing but sit and wait.

After what felt like hours of jumping at the slightest croak, splash, or buzz, Rose finally heard footsteps approaching. Stomping. Stomping _and_ approaching quickly!

"Who goes there?" she cried, waving her blade wildly in front of her.

"It's me, you rat!" Angelica hissed. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" said Rose in confusion. "What happened?"

"You know damn well what happened! You went and told that witch and now she used a spell to bring me back!"

"I didn't! I've stayed right here!"

"Oh come now. Do you honestly expect me to believe that you stayed—"

"I'm blind to darkness!" Rose blurted out. After a few moments of silence, during which presumably Angelica tested out this claim, Rose said softly, "I needed the lantern to see, and I broke it. I'm lost."

Angelica snickered, "Good. That's what you get for ratting me out!" Her voice was growing distant, and Rose could tell she was walking back to the shack without her.

"Angelica, please!" Rose cried in desperation. "Take me back with you! I'll die here!"

Silence. Rose almost began to cry at the thought of being left alone again, but Angelica's distant voice still rang out.

"I can't," she said.

"Please!" cried Rose once more.

"No, I truly cannot! My legs won't move back! It's this bloody witchcraft!"

Rose's heart pounded in her chest, as she strained to hear if Angelica had kept walking onwards. She hadn't however, saying in defeat, "Come on, then. Follow my voice. I can't come to you!"

Rose stood, hands outstretched, making her way to where the girl stood by sound. Upon finally gripping her hand, the two made their way back to the shack.

Rose's eyesight was restored upon reaching the door, just in time to see Angelica grow close to her, whispering intently, "This isn't over! You still told Tia Dalma that I had escaped!"

"No she didn't," Tia interrupted calmly, having opened the door and holding up the mug that Angelica had been drinking out of when Rose first spoke with her.

Angelica cried out incredulously, "You poisoned me?"

"Nay, I knew ye would try to escape, so I put a homing charm on da drink. Don't try id agin!" She stalked away, leaving both of the girls standing in silent bewilderment on the porch.

Angelica look at Rose, sneered and stomped up the stairs into the room that Rose would soon discover was no longer just for her. Here she was, the wrong girl, being kept in solitude for no other reason than destiny had willed her fate to be that way.


	20. Chapter 19 - Bitter Rivals

Rose woke up late, seeing that Angelica had already risen from her makeshift bed on the crates she herself once had laid her head upon. She rose, dressed, and went down the stairs to find Angelica looking over Tia's shoulder as she sat at her table, muttering some charm into a handful of crab legs.

Rose silently began to organize the herbs she had picked the other day into their respective drawers, but quickly finished the task. Having nothing to do, she sat on the lowest step and watched Tia and Angelica work.

"I can't do it!" Angelica shouted, scattering the legs across the table. "It's nonsense and witchcraft and I'll have no part in it!"

This continued for several weeks. Tia would teach Angelica something, Angelica would quickly grow frustrated, declare it nonsense, then sulk in the corner.

One day, Tia had prepared a basin of water in front of Angelica and herself, and was instructing her on how to charm liquids. Rose was finally bored of this routine. Already Angelica was beginning to grow impatient with her lessons. So Rose stood, went into the storage room, and found another basin, filling it with water from the rainwater collection barrel. She then placed it on the table and looked to Tia for further instructions.

"What do you think you're doing?" Angelica spat.

"I'm tired of not doing anything here," Rose said. "I see no reason why I can't learn."

Angelica snorted. "Go play with your leaves, Rose."

"No," Tia said, eyes gleaming. "Rose can stay." Rose broke into a grin, realizing that Tia almost looked… _impressed_ by her act of defiance. But Angelica only fumed next to her, and her fury intensified at the fact that Rose was able to charm her water while Angelica still could not. After that day, Rose was welcomed as a regular pupil to Tia's lessons.

A week later, Tia began instructing the girls about mythical sources. A talk about mermaids was the first lecture in which Angelica ever seemed engaged. Tia spoke about something called "L'Aqua de Vida," a fountain just east of the bayou where legend had it that one could glean years of life from another living soul with but water from the fountain, two charmed chalices and a mermaid's tear. Rose wasn't certain if she believed the legend, but was more engrossed by the silent fascination Angelica had for the subject.

This sudden bout of interest in Tia's lessons didn't last for Angelica, however. After the eighth week, she began to sneak out again. She would actually get quite far sometimes, one night being able to sack a small boat and make her way to the town of Shipwreck, which was only a few leagues away from the bayou. But as soon as Rose noticed that Angelica was gone, she would immediately tell Tia and giddily watch as a furious Angelica would stomp back through the door, forced back to the house with the homing charm Tia still had over her.

Once Angelica figured out that it was Rose who was telling Tia about her late night escapades and escape missions, she began retaliating. One night, Rose was violently awakened upon being thrown to the ground. Feeling around her, she discovered that Angelica had used her sword to cut Rose's hammock down, sending her toppling to the ground.

Rose then brewed Angelica a special tea infused with bloodroot, an herb that causes its consumer to throw up their food.

Angelica's revenge included dumping out all of the contents of the herb chest into one large pile, forcing Rose to reorganize the entire chest all over again.

Rose responded with an idea that had been brewing for several months at that point. She tiptoed past where Tia was telling Angelica about how to reanimate dead corpses, a process she called, "zombification." Rose took Tia's yellow snake, which Angelica was terrified of. She placed it at the bottom of Angelica's bed so that she would feel it slithering around her foot when she went to sleep. Rose delighted upon hearing her enemy's startled screams. Sadly, the next lesson Angelica learned from Tia was how to charm snakes, and Angelica had taught the creature to fear Rose so much so that Rose couldn't even come near the animal without it trying to strike at her.

Angelica's next attempt at revenge didn't stop there, however. It didn't become apparent to Rose what had happened until she had tattled to Tia that Angelica had snuck out once again and she was forced to return. Instead of cursing at Rose, as was to be expected, Angelica gave a wry grin.

"What are _you_ so happy about?" Rose asked with a small grin of her own, silently reveling in the fact that Angelica was also being kept at the shack against her will.

Rose's inner joy ceased suddenly however when Angelica tossed a small, empty leather pouch on the table in front of Rose. She gingerly picked up the bag, realizing that it once contained all the money she had saved from her days as a barmaid on Tortuga.

"On behalf of the entire Shipwreck Tavern," Angelica said with a catlike smile, "I would like to thank you for paying for a round of drinks for all the pirates on Shipwreck Island!"

Rose dropped the pouch and proceeded to leap onto Angelica, fully attacking her with all the might in her body.


	21. Chapter 20 - Teach Me

Tia Dalma flew around the corner. "Enough!" she cried, pulling the two quarreling girls off of each other.

" _¡Púdrete en el infierno!_ " cried Angelica.

" _Vous êtes un salaud!_ " replied Rose.

"STOP!" shouted Tia, rendering the furious girls silent. Tia had wedged herself between them, all three struggling to catch their breath through the scuffle.

"You. There!" Tia said to Angelica, pointing to a chair on the east side of the room. To Rose, she ordered, "You! There!" pointing to a chair on the west side.

Both girls begrudgingly did as they were told, each rubbing various body parts that had been slammed, hit or scratched. Tia took her seat behind her table between them, folding her hands and sitting erect like a judge presiding over a court. The guilty parties only glared at each other from their respective sides of the room.

The silence was thick between them, and hate radiated from their eyes. When Angelica donned a smug smile, Rose cried out, "She stole my money! The money I had spent _years_ saving! She stole—"

"Silence!" Tia shouted over her, and Rose obeyed ruefully. She then continued, more quietly, "Tell me why you is he–ere."

Both girls exchanged an uncertain glance with Tia, confused as to who she was speaking to, but Tia was looking between _both_ of them. Angelica answered first. "I am supposedly, 'The Chosen One.'"

"And I'm your prisoner," Rose chimed in bitterly.

"No and _no!_ " Tia said sternly. "Ye each be 'ere fer yer own means! It is yer destiny!"

Angelica scoffed. "Destiny! Like some false prophet isolated in a swamp could possibly predict _my_ destiny." She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "Tell me then," she spat, "What else does my _destiny_ entail, if you can see so much of it?"

Tia placed both of her hands flat on the table and looked at Angelica gravely. "Ye will find 'im."

Angelica furrowed her brow. "Who? Jack?"

"And he you search fer."

Rose watched Angelica quickly lose her skepticism and grow fascinated with Tia Dalma's words. "By what means will I find him?"

"I cannot say," she replied.

Angelica snorted. "Just as I suspected..." she grumbled.

"Take heed," Tia warned. "Him will blind you. He you hate will give ye sight."

Angelica's jaw hardened. "This is just an elaborate tale to get Jack to—"

"No tale. Teach approaches."

Rose watched as Angelica's face lost all color. "How...?" was all she managed to squeak out before she darted up the stairs back into their shared room. Rose's gaze followed her until she heard the door slam above where they sat.

"Teach?" she asked. "As in, Edward Teach? _Blackbeard?_ "

Tia nodded solemnly. "'er fadder."

"Her father?! Blackbeard is Angelica's _father_?"

"'Er mudder died, leavin' da girl in a convent, but she left 'er wid tales of he who loved 'er."

"But Angelica never told anyone," Rose finished. "Blackbeard is hated...they could use it against her if they knew. Does Jack know?"

Tia shook her head. "Nobody."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "You really _are_ a mystic, aren't you?"

Tia grinned devilishly, leaning closer to Rose. "I see yer future too. Do ya wanna know?"

Rose considered this. Knowing would give her power over the extent of her future, but then again, couldn't ignorance also be bliss? Perhaps knowing too much could set her mind at great unease. But she was faced with an opportunity, be it hopeful or harmful. Rose was desperately searching for her place in the world, and be it a positive or negative outcome, at least she could look forward to something.

"Yes," answered Rose bravely. "I do wish to know."

Tia nodded slowly, then began. "Ye too will find him ye search fer."

"Jack?"

"No. He who ye lost."

Though Rose's mind reeled wondering who she could possibly be referring to, Tia proceeded. "Ye will 'ave much heartbreak, but also great joy. Love be present."

"Love?" Rose asked. "Do you know... _who_?"

Tia's eyes glimmered. "'im who too 'as much heartbreak. Ye will marry a dead man, Rose."

 _A dead man? What does she mean?_

Before she had a chance to question this, Tia gravely gave this prophecy: "'Dere be a touch of destiny aboud you, Rose Hexfury. Ye will gain more power dan any man can ever dream of possessin'. If ye be willin', dis power will be yers. Da seas be bowin' to yer every whim, and men will fear you. Ye will not be ready to take dis power, but you _must._ Protect him heart, protect da seas forever."

Rose must have turned just a white as Angelica did, for Tia's speech softened upon seeing her pupil's overwhelmed expression. "Yer destiny is bright, Rose," she murmured. "Follow me word, and you will find joy."

Rose's mind was racing. In a matter of seconds, she was told that she would marry a dead man, possess more power than anyone could ever dream, and that she had a great responsibility to protect something for eternity. This made her feel both terrified and excited. The thought of possessing great power when she often felt so small and insignificant seemed a blessing to her, but then again, what did she mean by "marrying a dead man?" Did she mean that her love was doomed to perish?

"I know it be a lot to swallow," Tia said, "But believe me. Yer here fer a purpose."

"But I don't understand. You told Jack that I wasn't 'the right one,' while Angelica was. What of that?"

Tia grinned. "Destinies change wid da tide. Ya changed yers when ya wanted to learn my lessons like Angelica."

"Can I also change my destiny so that the tides will turn and I can once again join Jack aboard the _Pearl_?"

The priestess's eyes shone with sadness as she gravely said, "Nay, n' ya will not go aboard fer many, many years."

* * *

Rose awoke with hard thud on the cold, wooden floor. Angelica had once again flipped her hammock.

"Tia needs you," she said in her thick Spanish accent. "Something about those blasted leaves again."

Rose groaned, pushing herself up and reaching around to gauge her surroundings, since it was not yet dawn and her night blindness was still in full effect. "Thank you ever so much for waking me in your gentle way," she said sarcastically.

"Never you mind it!" Angelica replied, feigning sweetness as she tossed herself back on her bed and instantly fell back asleep.

If Rose could see, she swore she would have plotted some sort of revenge on her roommate, but Tia awaited below to give an important lesson for some inexplicable reason at this ungodly hour.

She felt around for her trunk, pulling the lever and releasing the lock. The lid swung upwards as Rose reached for her dressing gown and belt. First, she felt a garment, and she smiled despite it being the incorrect dress. The light green gown from Tortuga. It hadn't fit her in years. Rose then came upon the dress she had been searching for; A bright red, lacy and wild gown inspired by her gypsy ancestry that Rose had made herself upon outgrowing the green one.

Rose put in on and adjusted the belt over her shoulder. She then began to braid her hair, which had grown to a considerable length.

Hard to believe that Rose had been under Tia's guidance for nearly a decade. She was twenty-four, and the tides still hadn't turned according to Tia. Rose had no idea when she would ever see her brother again.

She lingered on the promise that soon she would possess unbelievable power. Though she still remained uncertain about her future, the promise of ultimate joy created much excitement and a small flicker of hope that burned deep inside her.

"Rose!" Tia cried from below.

"Coming!" Rose called, stirring from her daydream and reaching ahead of her to make her way by touch down the stairs.


	22. Chapter 21 - Her New Life

A chime sounded from downstairs. Blinking awake, Rose sat up and stretched out her limbs. Throwing her legs over her hammock, she examined the looking glass adjacent to her. Ten years. Ten years and she looked far older than twenty-four. She had the dark hair of her mother and eyes of her father. She had noticed as the years had passed that her eyes had developed flecks of hazel color in their interior. She tried to remember if Jack or her father had these similar patterns to their eyes, but struggled to even recall their faces it had been so long. She constantly looked tired, the consistently moist skin as a result of the humid salt air of the bayou stretched tight across her face. Rose was a wreck.

Pulling the cotton sheet away from her dirty nightgown which at one time had been white, Rose embraced the humid cold of the early morning bayou. She stretched again, and then rose, looking out of her rusted and dusty window at the swampy darkness. Seldom times a flicker of sunlight would grace this fertile habitat, dancing and chasing away every shadow as it traveled with the wind. After leaving, the shadows would return and linger once again. A shallow breeze blew in from the north, carrying the salty scent of the ocean with it. It beckoned to her, calling her name. The sea was tempting her to travel from the boggy swamplands, and return to days of full sunlight and billowing sails and bustling streets, and not days of eternal darkness and silence.

"Come on, Angelica!" Rose muttered firmly to the collapsed heap on the bed alongside the opposite wall to her. "Tia called and you know as well as I that she waits for no one."

A groan was her only response, followed by a brief repositioning. Rose walked over to her and shook her shoulder. "Angelica! It's not going to be on me that you spent your night galavanting off to Lord knows where only to achieve half a night's rest and then proceed to not pull your end of the duties here. Get up!"

Rose turned away, going to her chest and proceeding to get herself ready for the day. It was Angelica's choice if she didn't want to obey Tia Dalma, Rose knew better.

Angelica's voice was dark and gravelly from sleep when she said, "How could you stand it? Living with him?"

Rose snorted. "Dreaming of Jack again?"

"More like nightmares," her counterpart replied, throwing her legs over the side of her bed. "But for how long did you live with him?"

In ten years, this was the most conversation Angelica and Rose had ever sustained. Cautiously, Rose responded, "Briefly. I traveled with him. When we were quite young, he and I visited from time to time, but never for long."

"Why did he bring you here?" Angelica asked as she adjusted her bandana.

Rose pulled the cotton sheet on her hammock into an orderly fashion and turned to her. "His first mate did it. He had immense power over Jack and Tia."

Angelica narrowed her eyes. "What power could anyone possibly have over Tia?"

"I don't know," Rose shrugged. Suddenly, she remembered something about that day that originally she had dismissed. "Although…"

"What?"

"It had something to do with that silver locket of hers."

"The music box?" asked Angelica.

"Aye. Barbossa knew something about that necklace… And what ever it is, he used it to get her to keep me here."

Angelica squinted in confusion. "So…by that logic, you can leave anytime you'd like. There's no prophecy keeping you here—just blackmail."

Rose shook her head. "Were it that simple. Tia said that I can't leave the bayou and rejoin Jack until _the tides have turned_ , whatever that means. Nothing's happened in over a decade so far."

Angelica sighed in exasperation. "Always following the rules! Tia Dalma's Angel wouldn't _dare_ lie, cheat or steal!"

Rose fumed, "Stop that!"

Angelica leaned toward Rose mischievously. "Why don't we turn the saint into a sinner, eh? There's no homing charm on _you_! I'll lead you to the taverns, introduce you to a man or two…"

"No thank you," Rose snorted, returning to folding her sheet.

"Have it your way, Hexfury," Angelica called, beginning to start down the stairs and into the main room. "I just think that eleven years of life without really living is an unfortunate waste!"

Rose rolled her eyes as her roommate departed, but couldn't help feel twinges of truth ringing behind her words. It had been ten long years, and Rose was tired of waiting for her life to begin. She had no way of knowing if Jack was alive or dead, what ever became of her childhood love Benjamin McHenry, or even if her father still sailed the seas. She was completely cut off in her tiny world, and longed for so much more.

* * *

That day was surprisingly busy for the three women. Sickness had hit the bayou, and therefore all bayou-dwellers came flocking to Tia Dalma's shack to find healing. Some believed in Tia's healing powers. Those were funneled to the back. Rose however went hard at work grinding together a variety of herbs and poultices that would most definitely help. It was hours of visitor after visitor, and neither Tia nor Angelica nor Rose had any time in between each patron to even speak to one another.

Finally, the traffic began to die down. Rose, who had been stationed at the front of the main room began to clean up the rogue herbs that had fallen on the ground beneath her. Angelica entered and promptly plopped herself onto the nearest chair.

"I'm exhausted," she pouted.

Rose sighed. "All you did was place people into various lines."

"Which is exhausting! All _you_ did was play with your bloody plants!"

"And probably save lives," she added.

Angelica moved on from this thought, sitting straight up and turning her gleaming eyes towards Rose. "Wait a moment…"

"What?" Rose growled. She knew this look from Angelia, and it only meant trouble.

She stood, and began rummaging through drawers in the shelves surrounding them.

"What _are_ you doing?" Rose asked.

"I'm trying to find that locket," Angelica's muffled voice said from inside a cabinet. "See if I can find out whatever secrets it holds!"

"No!" Rose cried. "You are _not_ going to blackmail Tia Dalma!"

Angelica's hair flipped over her shoulder as she sharply turned back to Rose. "Do you want to get out of here or not?"

"Not like this, I don't! It isn't right! After all she's done for us…"

Angelica only waved her off, continuing to rummage through Tia's belongings. Rose went back to her work, refusing to give in to Angelica's schemes. This continued until Angelica had worked her way over to the side room window that overlooked the rest of the bayou.

"Hey," she called. "I found the locket."

Rose groaned. "Leave it be. I will not defend you if Tia finds you."

"No, come here."

"I'm busy!"

" _Will you please come here!"_

Rose threw her arms down at her side and angrily stomped to where Angelica looked out the window, motioning for Rose to do the same.

"I have night blindness, O Wise One," Rose growled, reminding Angelica that whatever she was looking at in silent fascination could not be seen by both spectators.

"It's Tia!" Angelica whispered, peering out of the shutters. "She's standing in the water waist high. She's holding the locket in her palm…"

Rose shrugged. "So? She's a mystic! She's keen to the strange and unusual."

She could only watch Angelica's face, and quickly noticed how taken aback her cohort was. "She…" she stammered. "She's moving the water!"

"What?" asked Rose.

"She's moving it with her hands…but she's not touching it!"

"Moving it how?"

"Little ripples! She seems to be in some sort of trance!"

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "You must be mistaken," she reasoned. "She must be holding some sort of a stick—"

"I swear it! She's moving the water!"

This was foreign to Rose. After eleven years, Rose was certain that she knew the extent of Tia's powers. Why would Tia retire herself into such a secluded part of the bayou and perform such an incredible feat in secret? Angelica did have a point; there was far too many secrets about Tia Dalma that Rose had never dared question until now.

Suddenly, Rose was thrown out of these thoughts from a quick yank of the arm by Angelica, who cried out, "Duck!" and pulled the both of them so that they were hiding behind the window ledge.

"Did she see us?" Rose whispered.

"I think so…" Angelica replied, swallowing.

Rose's mind started racing in hopes of finding some excuse they could use to divert their obvious spying. "We could just say that we heard a strange noise in the—"

"That would never work!" Angelica interrupted. "I'll just tell her the truth! There's strange nonsense going on and we want answers!"

"Is everything just a battle with you? You're constantly fighting everything that crosses your path! Isn't it exhausting?"

"Well if you weren't so stubborn—"

"Oh _I'm_ the stubborn one?"

"Yes, you—"

Their quarrel was interrupted a pointed clearing of the throat. The two women looked up from their crouched positions under the window to find Tia herself, who had entered and was staring down at her apprentices with pursed lips.

Instantly, both Angelica and Rose leapt to their feet, trying to distract from the even more obvious nosiness that they had just demonstrated. Both began speaking at once.

"Tia I was just telling Angelica that I—"

"—we needed to find you, and we—"

"—well you see, I was missing the comfrey and I—"

"—heard a strange noise coming from the—"

Tia silenced them with a flick of her finger, then rendered them completely speechless with two simple sentences that they both had longed to hear for over a decade now:

 _Da tides 'ave turned. Ya both be free ta go._


	23. Chapter 22 - Leaving the Bayou

"What?" Rose and Angelica both exclaimed simultaneously.

"Ya heard me," Tia said simply. "Ya be free."

As she flounced out of the storage room's doorway, the two girls exchanged a shocked glance.

 _Freedom._ That's all Rose had longed for ten years, but now that it was here, she suddenly felt incomplete. "So what happens now?" she asked, on Tia's heels as she walked into the main room. "Isn't there some sort of…of prophecy or some mission I am to go on?"

Tia Dalma shook her head. "Nay. Id be yer time."

Rose was incredulous. "And that's it? Now I'm to do what, find Jack?"

"Yes."

Rose threw up her arms in exasperation. "But how? That's all you have to say? After the years of riddles and prophecies…nothing? I just have to trust that I can find Jack wherever he may be in the world?"

Tia considered this for a moment, then chirped, "Yes."

Intense feelings of confusion and anger rushed through Rose, sending her reeling. She only scoffed, staring wide-eyed at Tia in stiff silence as the priestess meandered over to her table and began chanting to her crab claws.

Angelica muttered under her breath to Rose as she passed her on her way up the stairs to pack, "We're leaving, that's all that matters. What are you so upset about?"

Rose was upset about an innumerable amount of things. She hadn't been out of the bayou in over a decade. She had no contacts on the outside. She was leaving with Angelica and she felt completely uncertain about her future and had no idea where to even begin looking for Jack.

Tia looked up from the crab claws once Angelica had left the room, saying softly to Rose, "I know id be hard. Let Angelica guide ya off da island. Ya must obey her once ya leave he-ere. Id be da only way you'll find whad ya seek."

Rose was nearly speechless she was so overwhelmed. "I don't know what to say," she finally managed to squeak out. "You taught me so much for such a long time...I have so many questions I thought would be answered before this day. You have prepared me...yet I feel so incredibly...unprepared. What do I do?"

Tia took Rose's hand. "You be ready. You 'ave to be."

Rose wanted to cry. She had spent more time with this woman than her own mother, yet she knew virtually nothing about her."How can I thank you?" she whispered.

"Just find 'im. Keep 'im safe."

* * *

Rose walked down those stairs for what she thought was the last time, carrying nothing from her past. Not any of her gypsy heritage, nothing. That way, she thought, a part of her would never be forgotten from the site. Though she certainly had days of heartbreak, loneliness, and confusion in the bayou, it had become a part of who she was. Now, her only reminders of this portion of her life would be nothing but the clothes on her back and the herb pack tied around her waist.

As she entered the main room, she saw Angelica, holding a small leather bag with the few belongings she had accumulated over the past decade. She looked emotionless.

"Where's Tia?" Rose asked.

"In the back I think."

"Shouldn't we say goodbye?"

"I don't see why," Angelica responded bitterly.

Rose scoffed and quickly walked to the storage room to say her farewell, but Tia wasn't there either. Perhaps she was in the swamp again, deep in the mysterious trance Rose and Angelica had found her in earlier that day…

"Do you want to leave or not?" Angelica's shrill voice called.

Though it pained her not to properly thank Tia Dalma for all her years of care, she whispered a farewell and joined Angelica. As soon as they had left the building, the night blindness took hold. Together they took a rowboat down the river Angelica had stolen years before. As Rose could not see anything, her sense of direction was rendered utterly useless. The journey was near silent, sans a few recommendations on where to row or directions on how to leave. Shapes suddenly began to materialize before her eyes as the light began to grow steadily stronger, and for the first time in ten years, Rose was surrounded in sunlight.

The exterior of the bayou was far different than that of the interior. The white sand of the shore led to green grass, which led to lush jungle. Now that her vision was fully restored, the boat moved along far quicker. They approached the shoreline that fed directly into open ocean

"This land is far larger than it appears," Angelica announced. "There's Shipwreck Island that can easily be reached by this boat just on the other side. If we try for any other island however, the waves get too rough for this size of boat. I say we try there!"

Angelica had been outside the bayou many times since Jack had left her there. Rose hadn't. Unfortunately, this meant that Rose had little choice but to defer to Angelica's judgement. While this minimized quarreling, which was their specialty, it terrified Rose that she had no say in her immediate future.

"There's a fortress there, but also a small town," Angelica continued as they rowed. "Some of the townspeople run a few taverns. It's the only place to resupply for miles. Mostly fishing boats this time of year. One never knows, however..." When Rose only continued to silently keep rowing, Angelica huffed, "What is the problem, Hexfury?"

Rose turned to her. "The problem is that I don't want to be here. Generally, I _never_ want to be with you, but now I particularly do not want to be entirely alone with you, set off on a solo quest I hardly know anything about! _That_ is my problem, Teach!"

"It's not as though I would choose you, either!" Angelica spat. "Just stop being stubborn and follow my lead to town, lest you'd rather swim!"

"Why? What will town get us?"

"The town," Angelica smirked, "Will grant you a ticket out of this godforsaken place."

"You expect me to be a stowaway?"

"Why live a _gypsy_ life when one can ride in style?"

Rose grimaced. "I appreciate the insult, Angelica, but tell me—how would one achieve such high status?"

Her eyes sparkled maliciously as she whispered, "Get friendly with the pirates!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Just enough to distract them! Steal any valuable you find. We can use them to barter with one of these other men for a ride to the next port of call."

Rose was unmoving. "If you'll recall, I at one time had enough money to buy us passage anywhere! _You_ were the one to steal and pawn it off! I rather think _you'll_ do the distracting while I wait!"

Angelica narrowed her eyes. "The world is not as naïve and innocent as you are, _ninita._ My guidance ends once we reach the shore. Either heed my advice, or find your own way off Shipwreck Island."

Tia's final words to her rang in Rose's ears: _Ya must obey Angelica once ya leave he-ere. Id be da only way you'll find whad ya seek._

Rose swallowed her frustrations and silently continued rowing. The trek was long, taking most of the afternoon, but was not overly strenuous. The worst part of the journey was her eyes adjusting to the amount of light she was now exposed to. The heat on her back was incomparable to the rage in the pit of her stomach however. _I cannot believe that Angelica expects me to stoop to her level._ At the same time, a single yet powerful doubt crossed her mind— _What if she is right? What if stooping to her level is my only way off this island?"_


	24. Chapter 23 - A Tall, Dark Stranger

They arrived at the island about an hour later and reached the town just after sunset. It was very small, and was mostly surrounded by the hillside. There were about five small buildings and outcroppings built out of stone that made up the entirety of the town. Not a soul was stirring outside, sans one drunkard asleep on a nearby stone wall that bordered the dock.

"Follow me," Angelica said. "This is the best place to find gullible sailors if ever I've seen one."

Rose increased her pace to keep up. "Have you…done this a lot before?"

Angelica's eyes brightened and a seductive smile crawled across her face. "Sometimes," her voice sang. "I do it just for the fun of it! Only now there's no homing charm to interrupt me!" She turned and peered through the window. "Perfect! Just the band of rouges we need!"

She pulled the door open. Suddenly, Rose found herself buffeted by rank, hot air and noise. There had to be over twenty pirates in the tavern, drinking, brawling and laughing. "Follow my lead," Angelica yelled over the chaos. The two women approached the bar. An unsettling feeling came over Rose as she realized that they were the only ladies in the vicinity.

In spite of herself, Rose actually began to respect Angelica because of how fearlessly she approached the nearest pirate, a large and intimidating man who was entirely shirtless. "Excuse me," she said to him. He turned to them and Rose subconsciously stopped breathing for a moment. He was the most frightening man she had ever seen, despite having spent her entire childhood amongst pirates. Angelica seemed unfazed. "Is your captain here?" The man just snarled and returned to his drink.

A loud spoken, shorter man answered for him. "There be loads o' capt'n's here, Senorita! We've got a band o' small one-man ships 'ere this time of year!"

"So," Angelica restated, uncertainly. "None of you are members of a crew, then?"

The man's smile faded and he approached Angelica threateningly. "What did I just say, lassie?"

"Alright, Charles! That's enough! Leave them be!" a voice barked from the rear of the room. The greasy man stalked away like an animal.

Angelica quickly rushed Rose into a corner. "Change of plans," she whispered. "We take two men, one each. Use your feminine charms to coerce him to take you wherever you want to go!"

"Out of the question!" Rose cried. "I'm not about to…to… _sell_ myself off!"

Angelica grinned a catlike grin. "Oh dear," she said sarcastically. "What a tragedy that the saint is forced to become a sinner!"

"I don't even know what to _do,_ Angelica!" Rose was shaking, she was so on edge. She longed for the safety and consistency of the bayou, though she had only been away from it for but an hour.

Angelica took a moment, noticing Rose's genuine fear and feeling the slightest bit of pity towards her comrade. "Nothing to fear! Just follow my lead! Now," said she, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her toward the other side of the tavern. "Let's find us men!" She squinted, as though considering something. Finally, she said, "Your first romance...I'll let you have the handsome one!"

Before she knew it, Rose found herself pushed into the side of a pirate sitting remote from the rest. He sat on a stool, but as he lifted his face, Rose was taken aback by his looks. Angelica was quite generous in letting her be with this gentleman. He had long dark brown hair and was bearded. His blue eyes had a dull yet iridescent quality to them that left Rose staring for an inordinate amount of time. He simply stared at back her, forcing Rose into a position where she had to speak first.

 _Say something!_ "I'm sorry sir," she finally managed to squeak out.

"That's alright."

 _Ah! He's soft-spoken_ , she thought. _Perhaps, even if he's even just the slightest bit intoxicated, I could go with Angelica's original plan and have no trouble stealing his valuables!_

He was staring at her again. _Oh lord, did I just miss what he said?_

"I _said,"_ he repeated, "Are you the barmaid?"

Rose laughed nervously. "Oh! Oh no, I'm um...I'm with a friend..." Rose then turned to introduce someone who wasn't even there. Angelica was across the room, already sitting in the lap of a scruffy man across the room who was kissing her neck. She widened her eyes, motioning for her to act as she was acting.

Rose gulped, then turned back to him and let a wry smile come to her face.

 _Touch him_. She took the smallest of steps, letting the tips of her fingers run up the length of his arm.

 _Say something._ It was as if her mouth became disjointed from her body, as she found herself saying seductively, "But I _could_ be the barmaid, if you wanted me to be..."

Though she had no idea where those words came from, she felt his arm muscles tense under her fingertips. "That won't be necessary," he said softly, leaning closer toward her. Rose saw him smile. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to sit upright, then placed herself on his lap. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, Rose quickly shot a glance back at Angelica for further guidance. She caught glimpse of her just before she led her stumbling partner into another room through a door. Angelica nodded and winked at her as she closed the door.

"What's your name?" Rose heard the man say.

 _Don't tell the truth to the man you are about to deceive._ "Anna." Her mother's name jumped to her mind instantly.

"Lovely," he said.

"And what's yours?" she whispered.

He whispered back, "Never you fret about that."

Rose put both of her hands around the back of his head and brought herself close to his face. _Those eyes...so clear but so...dead. Lifeless._ She let her smile drop as she made this grim observation. This wasn't an act. It stopped being an act for Rose somewhere in the past few interactions. Her heart was racing based on pure, pent up lust alone and nothing more.

She saw his eyes widen as he pulled her in for a kiss. Her first. She was rendered entirely breathless and pulled away soon after it began.

"See? No names necessary," he whispered, sending shivers up her spine.

The next few actions went by in a blur. He looked at Rose expectantly. When she didn't react, he took the first step. "Let's go elsewhere," he said, still suave but composed. He lifted her off of him and led her into a nearby room upstairs in the tavern, closing the door behind him.

That was when the panic set in. Rose's sight was completely gone. All she saw was darkness, and she leapt when he touched her cheek.

"Hey," he murmured gently. "Don't be afraid. I won't harm you."

Rose gave another breathy laugh, and took in his scent as he began to kiss her again. From sound alone, she could tell exactly when and where he had placed his belt and valuables on the bed where they were. It was to her left. She felt his fingers run through her hair. Part of her wanted to just enjoy the passion of the moment, and in many ways, she had never felt so protected and secure. _This isn't love,_ she had to remind herself. _This is a game. He won't care that he met you tomorrow. Don't forget why you are here._ Yes! Rose had to buy the next leg of her freedom!

She reached to her left. She felt the leather of the strap that held his sword...his pistol...his...coin pouch! Her fingertips struggled to reach the bag and tie it loose. A little further...a little more...

Then? Disaster. Rose accidentally opened the bag, and shillings spilt across the wooden floor, clanging and crashing as they scattered. Everything stopped.

Suddenly, the click of a pistol. Rose felt the metal of the barrel against her jaw. "Get up!" his voice barked.

She was dead. He was undoubtedly going to kill her. Rose slowly pulled herself up, wiping the sweat from her forehead and readjusting her skirt. She knew the pistol was still aimed at her head, but she had no idea where he was. "Make one move, and you're dead!" he growled. She heard him pick up the coins with one hand and put them back in the bag, then sling the strap over his shoulder as it once was. Then, a sharp pain throbbed through her scalp as he yanked her hair and had the pistol at her throat again. "Who are you? Did they send you after me?"

Rose cried out in pain. "No! No! I'm sorry! It was my friend's idea! The other woman here tonight! We need passage onboard your ship to get out of here! She thought we could seduce two of you and buy our passage aboard!"

He threw her to the ground, and Rose, blind to her environment, dared not move. "You could never gain passage onboard my vessel," he yelled. She jumped when she heard him make a loud clanging noise upon slamming open the wooden window shutter in the room. When she didn't respond, he shouted, "Rise and look at me!"

Rose did sit up, but she looked blankly ahead.

"Is this what you want?" he yelled.

Rose could only open her mouth several times, though no sound emerged.

"ANSWER ME!" he roared.

"I cannot," she said plaintively.

"Can't what?"  
"I cannot look at you."

"What are you talking abou—no. Nevermind! I don't care!" He stood and readied himself to leave. "Thank you for your company, _mademoiselle._ " He turned to go, muttering under his breath, "A common whore..."

"I AM NOT!" Rose yelled furiously, struggling to stand up. "You are the first man...the first I've ever—" She fell to the ground, swearing under her breath. "The first man I have ever been alone with! I'm a simple healer from the bayou, and I've never…done this before tonight," she finished. "I am sorry."

Silence. The only reason that Rose knew he had not left was that she could still his breathing, which grew increasingly rapid. He grabbed the knob, yanking the door open. When her eyes adjusted to the light that spilled into the room, she expected to find him gone, her first passion to be a mere dream. Yet as she blinked and focused, Rose saw that he stood before her, mouth agape as he whispered, "Rose?"

She furrowed her brow. How did this man know her? "Yes?"

He approached her in silent wonder, then reached down and gingerly touched Jack's pendant which hung around her neck. He closed his fingers around it and stared directly into Rose's eyes.

It hit her like a wave at high tide. Those sad, sad eyes. It had been so long. In just a decade, Rose had become a woman and he had become a man. Her eyes filled with tears of joy, as the first man she wanted to see when she once again rejoined civilization had been holding her in his arms all along.

She let a tear fall as she whispered, "Hello, Ben!"


	25. Chapter 24 - A Rigid Reunion

Rose grinned as Ben sat down beside her, placing two drinks before each of them. "Tia Dalma's prophecy was right," she said. "Fate led me here. Had I not listened to Angelica I never would have found you!"

He shook his head in amazement. "Was that the woman you were with? That was Angelica? "

Rose nodded, gazing at her childhood friend. Beneath his haggard appearance, his wild hair and striking, serious demeanor, she could see the same kind eyes that shined at her, reassuring her that this was the same boy she once had held strong affections for. "Ten years have changed us both so much!" she said with a smile.

"My God," Ben exclaimed. "Has it really been that long?"

"I've been with Tia all this time." She looked at her companion in earnest, praying that he possessed the answer she was hoping he could deliver. "And…after all this time, have you been with Jack and the _Pearl_?" Perhaps her half-brother was closer than she thought.

He diverted his gaze as he muttered, "Well...yes and no…"

Rose swallowed her disappointment as she said calmly, "Where _are_ Jack and the _Pearl?_ "

Narrowing his eyes, he replied, "Jack's never come back to the bayou since the day we delivered Angelica?"

"No, not once."

"But…I assumed that would be the first place he'd go. I mean, I always figured that he'd escape and then he'd go straight to you and Tia Dalma…"

Rose tried to keep the welling panic out of her voice as she said firmly, "Escape from where?"

Ben took a deep breath before he began. "I'm so sorry. I had no choice, I— I had to—"

"Had to _what?"_ she cried. "Good Lord, Ben! Speak!"

He tightened his jaw and gazed at her out of the corner of his eyes. "We marooned Jack on a deserted island."

Rose felt her stomach drop. "When?"

Ben's gaze averted so that he was now staring deep into his drink. "Not long after we left Angelica at the bayou."

"So you mutinied against him."

"Don't do that!" he snapped. "Don't just place the blame on me! We _all_ mutinied against him!"

"You didn't have to, Ben! Jack was kind enough to let you aboard, even though it could have meant personal danger for him!"

"Don't speak on what you know nothing about!" he growled darkly. "I had no choice! You have no idea what they did to Bootstrap for sticking up for Jack!"

Another pang hit Rose's stomach. "Is he dead?"

Ben took a moment, then nodded sadly.

Rose pushed away her drink in silent fury. "So Bootstrap's dead, and you're a coward."

"A coward?" Ben leaned away from Rose. "Do you have any idea what they would have done to _me_? I would have ended up the same way as Bootstrap!"

"How do we know that Jack is even still alive if you supposedly marooned him, Ben?" Rose snapped.

"Will you stop?" he pleaded. "Let me explain! My God, you leap all over me, accusing me of things you know nothing about!"

Rose pursed her lips, placing a hand under her chin and leaning her arm against the tabletop. "Explain, then."

Ben began slowly. "After we left Angelica at the bayou, we waited for direction from Jack. He had promised us a route to some hidden treasure on an island called the Isla de Muerta, but then suddenly decided against leading us there. That was the final straw for Barbossa. He led the mutiny against Jack, and we left him on this little speck of land with only a pistol and a single shot." He paused here, waiting for Rose to spit some furious language at him, but when she only stared with intense anger, he continued his tale. "Afterwards, we headed to the Isla de Muerta ourselves, each of us looting some of the treasure. As we set off once more, Bootstrap voiced his guilt having mutinied along with us. Barbossa took his life as punishment. However, when night fell, we discovered that the treasure was cursed, particularly a chest of Aztec medallions. We each returned our respective medallions, but it still wasn't enough. The curse required a bit of our blood to break the curse and—"

"Good," Rose interrupted, already two steps ahead of Ben's story. "I'm glad. It's what you all deserve, killing Bootstrap. He died with his medallion, didn't he?"

"No," said Ben quietly. "That's what is so bizarre—we searched for months where we…where he died. We couldn't even find his body, let alone a medallion. Up until recently, we thought it was lost forever, and that we would live with the curse forever, but then—"

"As you deserve!" Rose said again. "I can't believe you would do this to your friends!" She shook her head. "I thought I knew you, Ben, but you've proven me completely wrong! I should have seen that when I last was with you."

"And why do think I'm here now and not with the _Pearl_ as they continue their reign of terror across the seven seas?" he asked. "I left the crew over two years ago."

Rose blinked in confusion. "Why…why didn't you come to the bayou?"

"As I said, I thought Jack would have retrieved you years ago! And besides," he said in between sips of his drink, "I didn't want to face you for precisely the rift we currently find ourselves in. I went home."

"Back to Tortuga?" Rose asked.

"Aye," he responded. "But I was just as quickly turned away. My father wanted nothing to do with me, Josephine _never_ wanted anything to do with me… So I stole a small boat, and have lived the nomad's life, trying to evade the _Pearl_ at all costs. If they find me, there will be hell to pay. I'd wish for a death that now life is too cruel to even grant me."

Rose cocked her head to the side. "Come again?"

Ben snorted. "Be grateful for your night blindness, Rose. You can't see what the curse did to us." He lowered his voice so that only Rose could hear him. "Back in the room when I opened the shutters, I did so to scare you, thinking you could see my figure. By moonlight, we lose all flesh. We're nothing but skeletons. We cannot die, can't feel…anything."

"My word," Rose whispered. "That's horrible. Have you tried searching for the missing medallion?"

"I know where it is," he said simply.

"You…you do? Have you gone after it?"

"Not yet," he retorted. "We had no way to track it until this morning. The medallion has made contact with the seas, and so it calls to us. I've felt it, and so has the rest of the _Pearl_ crew."

Rose grinned. "'The tides have turned' after all! This is what Tia was waiting for!" She stood in excitement. "Then let's go! Let's retrieve it!"

"It's not that simple," said Ben darkly. "Even if I found it, it's worthless without Bootstrap's blood."

Rose suddenly said in realization, "A son. Bootstrap told me once that he had a son slightly younger than us!" She placed a hand on Ben's forearm. "All is not lost, we'll find him!"

Ben pulled away. "He could be anywhere, even dead himself," he glowered.

"What if Bootstrap sent his son the medallion unknowingly as a keepsake? The two could be in one place!"

"Rose, I'm not going after it!" Ben spat. "The medallion called to every single one of the cursed men. The _Pearl_ is the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and is most likely already at the medallion's location as we speak. I'd much rather just wait out the storm. If Barbossa breaks the curse, so be it."

"Surely you can't be in earnest!" Rose cried. "If we go after the medallion, not only can we take matters into our own hands and try to free you ourselves, but also we could find Jack! If Jack truly is alive, he'll be in search of the _Pearl_. If the _Pearl_ searches for the medallion, therefore wherever the medallion is, Jack will there also be!"

"And, as you said, so will the _Pearl_! I cannot take that chance, Rose!"

"So to sum this little reunion up," Rose grumbled. "You wanted my body, I wanted your money, and then you proceeded to report to me that you betrayed everyone I love and have no idea where the man I'm supposed to find is. Not only that, but you seem _entirely_ at ease to wallow in your self-pity." She snorted. "So glad I found you, Ben."

She waited for him to refute anything, but when he only continued stewing on his own, she then turned to leave.

After she got a few paces away from the door to the tavern, however, Ben stood and called after her. "Jack is alive!"

She turned back. "And how would you possibly know that?"

Ben shrugged. "One hears things. Jack is infamous around these parts." He looked over to the barkeep. "Hey, you!" he called.

The barkeep, who was red-faced, balding man, looked up from a conversation with a raven haired young lady. "What, then?"

"Have you heard of Jack Sparrow?"

The young woman giggled, taking a sip from her drink. "Oh, I certainly have!"

After giving a jealous glare to his female companion, the barkeep said to Ben, "Aye, last I heard he was found drinking rum with the natives of Madagascar."

"Madagascar?" Rose asked in surprise.

The barkeep shrugged. "The man gets around."

"Regardless," Ben said, turning back to Rose. "Jack is well-known. It's clear that he's still alive and clearer to me that we can find him. And you're right," he said guiltily. "Where the medallion is, so Jack Sparrow will also certainly be."

"Where is it calling from?" Rose asked.

"The North," he said. "If we follow its call, I can lead us there. I'm thinking it must be somewhere near Port Royal, if not there entirely."

The corners of Rose's mouth turned upwards slightly into a small smile. "To Port Royal then, Mr. McHenry!"


	26. Chapter 25 - To Port Royal

Rose stood next to Ben, her heart aflutter.

"What do you see?" she asked. After Ben had grabbed his cloak, shielding himself from the cursed moonlight, led the blind Rose to his small dinghy, and was able to navigate them northward toward where he had felt the medallion's call, it was the middle of the night. She could tell by Ben's silence that something was awry.

She heard him remove his periscope from his eye and click it shut. "I don't understand…" he muttered distantly.

"What?"

Ben only replied,"We're here."

Rose grinned. "That's good then! Port Royal?"

"Or what's left of it," he replied sullenly.

Rose felt her heart drop. "The _Pearl_ was here, then."

"And obviously found what it was looking for, because there's not a sign of it other than what destruction the crew left behind." Ben took a deep breath, then turned to face Rose. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "We've lost it. There's nothing we can do."

Rose was still optimistic, however. "All is not lost," she said, sitting closer to him. "You still can feel the medallion's call, correct?"

"Not unless the medallion makes contact with the ocean again. I'm completely in the dark. Even if I could track it, we could never catch them. I'm afraid we're back where we started."

Rose considered this, reevaluating this turn of events. "So we believe they took the medallion, otherwise they wouldn't have left…but they also need Bootstrap's son to break the curse. Do you think they have him?"

"Not sure," he replied. "At this point, I think we should just wait. If the curse is broken, then so be it."

Rose felt twinges of anger flare up inside her again at Ben's eagerness to give up the fight, but instead she decided to focus on other matters. While Ben's curse was important to her, Jack was still her priority and as of that moment, his whereabouts were still unknown. Was he also captured by the _Pearl_? Was he at that moment on Port Royal? Perhaps he was nowhere near them…Rose had no way of knowing. The only plan of action Rose could formulate was, "Why don't we go ashore and see what the locals know of the medallion?"

Ben snorted. "Have you ever been to Port Royal, Rose? Or even _heard_ of it, for that matter?"

She shook her head. "No."

"It's a settlement run by the British Royal Navy has taken it over. A copious amount of noblemen and ladies live there."

"…so?" asked Rose, still not following Ben's train of thought.

"I don't know, Rose," Ben said sardonically. "Maybe the walking skeleton and the blind bayou girl would stick out like a sore thumb amongst the British elite!"

"Then we regroup at daybreak!" she continued. "We find calm waters, lay anchor and ask around when you and I are restored back to normal."

Ben exhaled sharply in a slight laugh. "I forgot how rarely you let something go once you decide that it strikes your fancy."

Rose gave a wry grin. "You started this," she said. "Remember when we used to play Pirate as children? We always said we'd be battling ghost pirates aboard the _Black Pearl!_ "

"Aye," Ben said sadly, "But never did I envision actually _being_ the ghost pirate."

Rose took this in for a moment, then moved her hand outwards to touch him comfortingly. However, when her fingertips touched Ben's arm, she forgot that she wouldn't feel warm flesh, but rather tough, solid bone. She quickly recoiled, then gave an apologetic look downwards. Finally, she said warmly, "Fear not, Ben the Buccaneer. You and Rose Hexfury shall always save the day!"

* * *

Port Royal by daylight was actually delightful to Rose, abhorrent destruction or otherwise. Besides Tortuga, Rose had never seen a thriving town, let alone a town so organized and proper. It was these sorts of buildings and these sorts of people that Rose had always envisioned in storybooks, and the adventure of it all excited her greatly.

Rose and Ben had straightened up a bit in order to disguise their pirate roots, but no one was all that concerned about their presence that day. Not even the dock manager was around to charge them a fair for anchoring Ben's boat to the main dock. Everyone today was focused on yesterday's pillaging. A number of fatalities had occurred, and the main town was absolutely ravaged. Broken glass littered the dirt roads, and all around men, women and children were beginning to regroup, reassess, and rebuild.

"One think I still don't understand," said Ben, disrupting Rose's observations. "Jack never visited you once while you were in the bayou? You were the only person in his life that he knew he could trust and who would always be in the same place. Why didn't he come for you?"

Rose shrugged, slightly annoyed by Ben's accusations. "Tia wouldn't have let me go with him regardless."

"That's not the point," he protested. "Not even once did you find it odd that he never thought to visit you?"

"No," she said simply, feeling herself start to retreat back into herself.

"In ten years…"

"I know, Ben," Rose said sharply. "I don't know his reasons. All I know is that I need to find him. His reasons can come after that moment."

Ben nodded slightly in understanding as they silently continued to make their way through the wreckage of the once-pristine town, but what he had said bothered Rose greatly. Why _would_ Jack never think to go find her? What if he wanted nothing more to do with her? Could it be that—

"Jack Sparrow!" she heard a distant voice exclaim.

Rose perked up upon hearing her half-brother's name spoken aloud. Afraid she was merely imagining it, she asked Ben, "Did you hear that?"

Ben, who hadn't, replied, "What?"

But Rose had already started off in the direction of the voice, having heard its source continue speaking. She passed under a large stone facade and into another square where two middle aged couples stood, the two pairs conversing together.

"I wholeheartedly agree," said the taller man. "It's them ruddy bilge rats. One comes in, they all come in. Easy as that."

The woman who stood by his side, presumably his wife, nodded obediently. "I just pity poor Miss Swann," she said. "The lass didn't do nothin' ta deserve this."

The woman adjacent to her murmured in agreement, "Poor dear must be scared to death."

"Excuse me," Rose said, approaching them. Ben quickly moved to stand at her side. "Did I hear one of you mention Jack Sparrow?"

"Aye," said the other man amongst the group of four. "I reckoned it's Sparrow's doing what brought the lot of 'em in here last night!"

"You'll have to excuse us," Ben spoke up politely. "We just got in this morning and are unaware of what has transpired."

"Oh!" one of the ladies exclaimed. "Ye must be so confused, then! A whole band of blasted pirates came in here and tore the whole town apart!"

"Searching for valuables, I assume?" Ben slyly asked, subtlety suggesting the medallion to see if any of these townspeople were aware of the cursed treasure.

"Believe it or not," the tall man said, "All we can prove they made off with is the Governor's daughter, poor girl. God be with 'er."

The ladies nodded reverently, while the other man continued stating, "I said it once and I'll say it again, it's because Sparrow came to town. He was found accostin' the Governor's lass after she fell in the water yesterday mornin', and all of a sudden she's been taken by his ilk while he sits happily behind bars! Norrington ought to hang him straight off!"

"No!" Rose exclaimed instinctively, before her mind even had time to process that she should have remained absolutely silent at this comment.

Thankfully, Ben was quick to create an excuse for her outburst. "What she means is, a hanging is far too mild a punishment."

The four townspeople nodded in agreement, then began discussing the proper ways in which to execute a pirate. Rose had stopped listening to their banter, realizing that the fact that Jack _was_ indeed here, on this island at the same time as she! Just a quick slip into the prison and they could be reunited after so many years apart!

Rose _did_ begin listening again once several dozen townspeople began racing past their group towards the docks.

The smaller of the men looked bewildered and called out to a passerby, "You there! What's all the commotion about?"

"It's Sparrow!" the man replied. "He and the blacksmith boy have just made off with the _Interceptor_!"

"He _escaped_?" the large man roared. "I knew that Turner lad was always shifty! Never trust a foundling, I always say!"

Ben took Rose by the arm and led her aside, apart from the rest of the townspeople. "Did you hear that?" he whispered to her.

"Yes!" she replied. Her head was spinning with the information they had received, all of it beneficial to them in some way or another. First, the only item that the _Black Pearl_ had made off with was the Governor's daughter, who had the previous morning made contact with the ocean. These two clues made it clear that this young woman was somehow in possession of the medallion. Second, Bootstrap's son was clearly an inhabitant of this island as well, and finally, Jack was nearby!

Rose and Ben exchanged a knowing look, then took off running towards the docks themselves. If Jack and Bootstrap's son were in cahoots and currently in the process of stealing a ship, there was no chance that either Ben nor Rose would miss the chance to sail with them to break the curse, save the girl, and free the _Pearl._


	27. Chapter 26 - Blood in the Water

Ben and Rose followed the masses as they all raced toward the harbor. They had to stop when they hit the crowd, all gathered around to view the impending battle in the bay. It was chaotic. Spectators pushed and shoved, all trying to get a better view of the action. Since their own lives were not in danger as they were last night, the townsfolk all clamored to see who would end up victorious; the Island's main defense, or a stolen ship armed by only two men.

Rose couldn't see over the heads of the people in front of her, so she turned to Ben who was taller than she. Trying to keep the panic out of her voice, she asked, "Can you see anything?"

Ben squinted towards the horizon. "Barely," he replied. "I see the two ships, but I can't see Jack onboard either of them…" After a moment, he said softly, "Oh."

"Oh?" Rose questioned.

"Now I see him."

Her heart raced. She jumped up, trying to see over heads. "Where?"

"It's no use," Ben said. "I just…can clearly see that he's onboard the ship which is rapidly escaping as we speak."

"Did they make it?" Rose asked.

"Seems like it," he replied. "What strikes me odd is that the _Dauntless_ hasn't tried pursuing them. They're floating off in the opposite direction!"

"Somethin's wrong," said a stranger who stood behind them, who had been listening to their speculations. "Not like the Commodore to watch his own ship be taken. Least of all by Sparrow. Sparrow and the blacksmith boy must've done somethin' to the _Dauntless._ No other explanation."

Ben nodded politely in acknowledgement of this man's input and then took Rose by the arm to lead her away from the crowd.

"What are you doing? I want to stay here!" she said in outrage, struggling against his pull.

Through gritted teeth, Ben answered as he successfully yanked her away from the masses, "There are ears everywhere here. That man might have heard you rooting for Jack to get away, and then where would we be?"

"That doesn't matter!" Rose scoffed. "We'll be rid of this place shortly anyways!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Did you not just see Jack make off with the _Interceptor?_ "

Rose pointed towards the bay where the _Dauntless_ was slowly approaching the docks. "And do _you_ not see that? When the _Dauntless_ arrives, it'll be only a matter of hours before they're off again to get Jack! Let's go aboard! Just you and me! It'll get us closer to him at the very least, and—"

"Are you mad?" Ben cut her off. "How do you expect us to simply go aboard a Navy ship? By asking politely?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Of course not! We'll steal some clothes. I'll look like a lady and we can make you look like one of the officers. Perhaps we need passage to a nearby island…"

Ben shook his head, and began walking away from the harbor up a road that led through town. "What Jack did was an act of war against the Crown. Not only did he escape imprisonment, but now he's taken their prized vessel. They'd never let a woman aboard at a time like this!"

Rose had expected this, but was hopeful that perhaps Ben might agree with her vision. Instead, she tried, "Then we go as stowaways—"

"Rose, no! We're staying here! That's all we _can_ do!"

She scoffed again. "What do you mean, 'all we can do?' _You_ have a boat yourself! We can even go after them ourselves!"

"And lose them, and get lost ourselves, and hit a storm, and any number of things!"

"But you've been to the Isla de Muerta!"

"I don't remember its location, and I won't unless the medallion hits the sea once more!" he protested. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Rose. There's nothing we can do to remedy this matter ourselves. We simply must lie in wait."

Rose was flabbergasted. She couldn't believe how listless Ben was willing to be. She stopped walking up the path they had been traversing, causing Ben to stop as well, "So, we wait and do what?"

"Think, Rose," he said, growing closer to her. "Jack's after the _Pearl._ The _Pearl_ is trying to lift the curse, and they took the Governor's daughter. The Navy is after the girl and now Jack as well. No matter what happens, if the curse is lifted or not, if the girl is recovered or not, if Jack gets away or not, _someone_ from the Trading Company will surely return with news. And I'm certain that at the very least, the girl will be saved. If she returns unharmed, you and I can question her and then make a plan of attack from what we discover. I say we lay in waiting until that time comes."

Rose felt as though a large rock had deposited itself in the pit of her stomach. She saw reason in Ben's words, but had never intended on playing such a small role in finding her brother. There was nothing she could do, however. No matter how hard she fought, Ben was stubbornly rooted in his opinion. If Rose wanted to go after Jack, she would have to do it herself. While she wasn't opposed to this, sadly, her life was severely in danger from sundown to sunrise if she made the journey herself. Rage burned inside her at this feeling of helplessness.

Finally, she submitted. "Alright. I'll wait. But for how long?"

Ben shrugged. "How am I supposed to know that?"

"Well we had better make a plan if we are to live here! Certainly you don't have enough silver in that little pouch of yours to pay for our living expenses!"

Ben grimaced, seeing the truth of her words, then silently walking further up the path as he tried to devise a solution to their problem. Rose joined him in the silent march, trying to envision a solution of her own.

After minutes like this, they both rounded a corner and then leapt back as a horse-drawn carriage nearly ran them down. A forlorn-looking man with a large wig peered out of the window apologetically as it raced by. Ben's gaze followed the carriage as it drove away, then looked back from where it came from. Wordlessly, he continued up the path and through the gates of an ornate mansion, the likes of which Rose had never seen before.

"Ben?" she called in attempts to stop him. "Ben!" she tried again. When he still proceeded onward, she raced to catch up with him. "We can't simply walk up to a house like this looking like we do!" she said breathlessly when she finally caught him.

Ben pointed towards the path. "Did you see that carriage?"

"How could I miss it?" said Rose sardonically.

"It came from here," said Ben, motioning to the house where they currently were standing outside.

"What about it?"

"This is the Governor's mansion, Rose. I'll venture to say that that was the Governor himself racing out of here, and from the looks of that large trunk he had tied to it, he's intending on going to find his daughter with the Navy. I think we found a solution to our residency problem."

As he turned and continued up the steps to the front door, Rose said in a hushed voice, "But what about the Governor's wife? She could still be inside."

Ben drew his pistol and whispered, "I'll take care of that, should that problem arise."

"Ben, no!" she protested. "This is someone's home! And we're probably outnumbered. A house like this certainly has a staff to help run it!"

Ben laid a finger over his lips, motioning her to stay silent as he leaned against the door. Holding his pistol tightly, he quickly beat on the door. "Hello?" he called. He tried again after a few moments, but when there was still no answer, Ben quickly kicked in the door, causing it to swing back on its hinges.

Their eyes were both instantly drawn to a large bloodstain that had pooled and permanently damaged the wood flooring. "I don't think the staff survived the night," Ben responded gravely.

He took a step around the red stain, calling up the stairs, "Hello? Anyone there?" When no answer came, he made a quick dart up the stairs to investigate further.

Now alone, Rose took a moment to investigate the foyer which she now found herself in. She had never been in a place so elegant or grand. She carefully sidestepped some broken glass which still littered the floor. She gingerly touched the soft fabric of the curtains as she walked the perimeter of the elaborately decorated mansion, and stopped upon seeing a large painted portrait of a beautiful young woman. She had dark blonde hair and a sharply angular face. _This must be the Governor's daughter_ , she thought.

She heard Ben approach after a few moments. "Seems to be all clear," he reported. "No sign of a Mrs. Governor at all, actually." He stopped, following Rose's gaze to the portrait of the woman.

She snorted. "Pretty clear now as to why the entire British fleet is out to rescue her, eh?"

But Ben didn't respond. His eyes were fixated upon a particular spot on the painting. "Ben?" Rose asked.

He lifted a finger and pointed at the necklace that hung around her neck. "That's the medallion."

Rose looked closer to where he was referring, but could only see a slight hint of a round pendant protruding from the top of her bodice. The rest appeared to have been intentionally concealed. "Are you certain?" she asked.

"I'd recognize that shape anywhere," he replied. "She made contact with the ocean yesterday morning, and now we know for certain that she has it, but why would _she_ of all people have it?"

Rose nodded. "Barbossa must think she's Bootstrap's daughter, since she's in possession of the medallion, but really, it's Bootstrap's actual son who is with Jack right now."

Ben looked into her eyes somberly. "Let's hope that the _Dauntless_ makes a quick recovery and sets sail soon," he said. "Because when Barbossa discovers that the girl isn't of Bootstrap's blood…he _will_ kill her."


	28. Chapter 27 - Duality

Waiting was tedious, but waiting with someone else was manageable. It had been three days. Rose and Ben had barricaded themselves in the servant's quarters of the Governor's mansion, creating a defensible space in case anyone decided to come check on the place in the absence of both the Governor and his daughter. Every afternoon, they would walk the town in silence, keeping their ears alert for any potential news about the whereabouts of the _Pearl,_ the _Interceptor,_ or the _Dauntless._ No news had surfaced in three days' time. By evening, the two would return back inside before nightfall, the time when Rose would lose her eyesight and Ben would lose his skin.

On the fourth morning, Rose awoke from the servant's cot which she had been using for her bed to find Ben trying in vain to light the fireplace.

Noticing her, he said humorously, "Aren't you a witch? Can't you simply snap your fingers and light this fire for me?"

Rose grinned. "I'm not that sort of witch, sadly," she said. "That was Angelica's domain. I merely play with plants."

"A healer, then?"

"Aye."

Ben turned his focus back to the fire. "What good are we?" he mused. "Neither of us can go out after dark, and neither of us can manage to light a fire!"

She laughed again. Ever since moving in to this home temporarily, Ben had been a delight to be around. She didn't understand why he had been so difficult every moment since their reunion leading up to now. The only thing that she could attribute was the fact that now Ben was in an established domain—he felt comfortable and settled, and therefore could be at ease. While Rose felt very uncomfortable staying stationary while her brother sailed further and further away from her, she did at least appreciate this change in Ben's demeanor. He even had begun to resemble the same happy boy that she had grown up with on Tortuga; The boy before the _Pearl_ changed him forever.

Rose swallowed her fear and dared approached the subject that had gone unspoken for so many years. "Ben?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"What happened between us? I mean, all those years ago. We were the best of friends, and then you…changed."

At this, Ben abandoned his efforts to light the fire and fully turned to face her. He took a deep breath. "I was young, Rose. We act rashly when we're young."

"But so was I!" she protested. "I held nothing but love for you. What did I do to possibly earn your scorn?"

Ben shook his head, eyes to the ground. "It was nothing you did. I needed to prove myself to the crew, which meant I couldn't be a boy anymore. I had to be a man very suddenly."

"So that means that the boy was allowed to love me, but the man can only hate me?"

Ben pursed his lips, taking a moment to consider this. He then looked into Rose's eyes and said quietly, "As you can tell, there were many decisions I made that weren't well thought out."

Rose felt her heart race as she bravely asked, "And how are we feeling about me presently? Is it the boy or the man who is with me right now?"

He looked down again. "It's not like that, Rose."

"You don't…resent me, do you?"

It took Ben a painfully long amount of time to answer her desperate question, but once he did, Rose still didn't feel convinced of its sincerity. "Of course not," he muttered in monotone. They stood in joint confusion for a brief moment, until Ben suddenly broke the tension with a cheery tone of voice once more. "Can I get you anything to eat from the pantry?"

Rose was eager to escape the dread she felt, and sarcastically replied, "To eat, you actually need _food_ , Ben. We ran out yesterday afternoon."

"Did we?"

"Well," Rose reasoned, "It's unfair to say ' _we_ ate all the food,' when really it was only me who did the deed. You don't eat anymore, do you?"

Ben shook his head. "No need."

"Honestly? You don't have to eat or drink anything? Ever?"

He shrugged. "Can't feel a thing." A thought occurred to him and he suddenly pulled out his dagger, stabbing himself in his upper arm and pulling out the blade without even flinching.

Rose shrieked instinctively upon seeing the sudden act and came rushing to his side, certain that blood would come pouring out of the fresh wound. While the dagger's blade was covered in his own blood, no blood escaped the cut.

"Remarkable," Rose said, looking up at him. "But…shouldn't I dress it? What about infection?"

Ben smiled, "Couldn't catch infection even if I tried."

"Can't you feel anything?"

"Not at all!"

They both gave a small laugh, but Rose quickly grew serious upon realizing just how close she was to him. She could feel his warmth, and that familiar longing from the past of wanting to be this close to him forever.

Rose let the words slip from her mouth, though she was uncertain of what corner of her mind the boldness came from as she whispered, "Did you feel anything that night on Shipwreck Island? When you didn't know it was me?"

Ben opened and closed his mouth several times, as though he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words to express how he felt.

Rose filled the silence herself with another bold question. "Do…do you feel anything _now?_ "

It is uncertain of who initiated the action which resulted in the two of them drawing incredibly close to one another, but all that I know for certain is that the moment did not end the way the way Rose wished that it would.

Ben quietly muttered, "I have to get this fire going," and proceeded to pull away from Rose entirely.

Rose quickly shook off the moment as well and tried very hard to move along with as little awkwardness as possible, as she said, "Yes. And I need to find food!"

"Here," Ben said, untying the small leather pouch which contained his silver that Rose had tried to steal from him less than a week ago. "Take this. It should pay for whatever you need."

"Are you sure?"

"Certainly."

The silence grew stiff between them once more as Ben handed the pouch over to Rose, until they both once again were filled with energy and nearly sprinted to complete their respective duties, trying in vain to escape the tension that had filled that small kitchen in only the very last few minutes.

* * *

Rose was notably absent for far longer than she normally would have. She needed to take the time to sort out her feelings regarding Ben before she allowed herself to return to their shared quarters. She knew it was very sudden, and probably provided a difficult position for Ben to be in, but ultimately, she resorted to being completely candid with him. Tonight, he would know about how she had always felt about him once and for all. There was no doubt in her mind that from childhood to now, her affections had remained relatively unchanged. Now Ben was all hers. Curse or otherwise, she was willing to stay with him as long as she had to. However, the notion of Ben not sharing her affections was terrifying enough to nearly petrify her into eternal silence. Rose had only felt love for one man, and it was the one and only man in her life that she was unrelated to. A part of her was frightened that this was the only reason that she felt attraction for Ben—simply a lack of options.

 _No,_ she decided firmly. _We've overcome so much together. This is right. I_ know _that this is right._

As the sun set and her vision grew faint, she entered the mansion through the servant entrance around the back, arms heavy with supplies that she had acquired. As she approached the door to the kitchen, she took a deep breath, scrounging up all of the bravery she could muster, and pulled open the door. Her heart sank upon seeing her friend. He was leaning haphazardly against the wall, taking a large swig out of a bottle of rum.

Rose kept her voice cheery as she commented, "I see you finally got the fire lit! …and that you found the wine cellar as well…"

Ben didn't reply, and only stared deeply into the raging fire he had built.

"Why do you do this?" she asked, lips pursed. "You can't feel pleasure, you can't feel pain, then why even bother with the drink?"

Ben sleepily blinked, moving his gaze over to her. "Because at least this amount of numbness," he said referring to the bottle, "I can control."

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, taking the food she had accumulated over to the end table and starting to unpack it. Ben rose to his feet and shuffled over to her, grabbing her harshly by the forearm and pulling her towards him. She gasped upon being so roughly handled, and tried to pull away.

"Ben, you're hurting me," she said, her eyes averted downwards.

"Mmm?" he responded.

"Ben, please!"

"Enjoy the pain. You don't know how much you miss it until it's gone."

Rose inched away from the stench of his rum-flavored breath. His grip on her arm only tightened, causing Rose to cry out in pain.

"That hurt?" he asked darkly. "Well, you've hurt me. I'm merely returning the favor."

"Stop it! You don't know what you're saying!" Rose pleaded.

"Don't I? _You_ did this to me!"  
Rose was actively struggling now to pry herself loose from Ben's ever-tightening grip. "What? I—"

"If it weren't for your bloody insistence that I go with you aboard the bloody _Pearl,_ I would be alive. I'd be _happy!_ "

Were it not for the very real pain she felt, Rose would have thought that she was simply in a nightmare. That was how unbelievable this transformation in Ben was. She was completely unprepared for this attack.

He finally released her and stalked away back to his corner, mumbling curses beneath his breath. Rose could only make out the word, "mistake."

"I asked you if you resented me and you said that you didn't! Why did you lie if this is how you truly feel?" she spat.

"Because I knew you'd destroy yourself over it," he said with a slur. "But then I realized that I wanted you to live with even an ounce of the pain I feel. Maybe then you'd understand what you caused."

His gaze returned returned to the fire once more, and with that, his drunken rant was completed, and Rose felt adequately eviscerated.

She calmly walked into her makeshift room and slid down the wall until she could hug her knees into her chest and hold what felt like the broken pieces of her heart in place for the time being. No one ever could have anticipated Ben's duality, but Rose discovered just what the additive of alcohol did to Ben; It allowed the truth to leak out of him, uninhibited and uncensored. It scared her to death. She truly had no idea who the man she had convinced herself that she loved was, nor the man who she promised to help.

With Ben, she was utterly alone.

Ben's sharp scream awoke her from the uneasy sleep she finally managed to attain. Darkness had fully descended, so it took a moment for Rose to get her bearings and make her way by touch out to the kitchen where Ben was writhing in pain by the dying fire.

"What's wrong?" she asked, temporarily forgetting the horrible moment that they had shared only a few hours prior.

Although the fire provided barely enough light for her eyesight to pick any visuals up, she could clearly see the blood pouring out of the wound on Ben's bicep that he had made earlier that day. She immediately tore a piece of her skirt off to use as a bandage, and rapidly reached for the herbs in her pouch to apply a poultice that could slow the bleeding. She came close to him to begin her work, but Ben stood before she had a chance to do so and made his way to a nearby window. He threw open the shutters and let the moonlight fall upon his skin. He began to laugh in pure, unadulterated joy when his skin remained just as it should have been, and did not transform into bone.

He looked at Rose and murmured, "Turner. He broke the curse!"


	29. Chapter 28 - Familiar Faces

"How's the pain?" Rose asked.

"Ugh," Ben moaned, holding his bandaged arm up over his eyes to block the sunlight. "Horrible. Can't you give me any more of that…whatever you call it?"

"I'm out of feverfew," she said stiffly. "I'll look for more while we're out here." Rose didn't mean this. She had plenty of feverfew in her herb pouch, but she was keeping it from Ben for two main reasons; First, feverfew was hard to come by in these areas, and Rose knew that Ben would be experiencing residual pain over the next few weeks now that the Aztec curse was broken. She would need to ration his intake. Additionally, and on a more personal note, Rose hoped that she could use his pain as punishment. She was still incredibly hurt both physically and emotionally by Ben's terrifying words and actions the night before after he spent the evening consuming too much rum.

The worst part about all of this was that Ben had absolutely no recollection of what he had done or said during his rampage. Rose had asked him in the morning if there was anything further that he wanted to discuss, and he replied with utter bewilderment, "What is there to discuss?" That's when Rose decided to internalize what had happened. Ben had two sides to him; the man she loved, and the man she feared. And despite all of it, she _still_ loved that side of him. She would stay by his side for the time being, especially in his time of great physical pain, but now she was wiser. She felt ready to set off on her own the next time things between her and Ben got dangerous. Ben was never a part of Tia Dalma's prophecy—only Rose herself. She needed to find Jack, with or without Ben.

She had taken Ben outside that afternoon, thinking that the sun would be good for him, but he had only managed to complain the entire journey. Something was particularly odd about the town at that moment, however; It was completely deserted.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, mostly to no one.

Ben took his arm down from his eyes and squinted. "Indeed. Is there an event in the square today?"

Suddenly, the answer came to them at the same time. They looked at each other knowingly, then took off running towards the docks. They could hear the crowds before they saw them, and they saw the sails of the _Dauntless_ before they saw the crowds. Rose could barely breathe she was so full of anticipation.

She could deduce several things about what had transpired over the past few days; Bootstrap's son had somehow reunited with the lost medallion and successfully returned the gold with his blood upon it to the cursed chest. The _Dauntless_ had returned, although it was unclear what they had successfully accomplished.

Rose and Ben pushed their way to the front of the crowd, which was being held back from mobbing the docks by the presence of several red-coated Navy officials.

That's when she saw him—past the several dozen armed officers, past the several dozen more filthy pirate scum from the original cursed _Pearl_ crew, Rose saw a man who appeared to not have aged in nearly a decade. She saw the same kohl-rimmed eyes, the same long hair… Rose saw her half-brother for the first time in ten years.

Her heart began to race and she pushed past the barricading guards and started quickly walking towards where the armed guards were briskly marching Jack up to the fort in shackles.

"Rose?" she barely heard Ben say behind her as she continued walking towards the men in a nearly trance-like state.

Faster she walked, soon having to increase her pace to keep up with them. She no longer cared about concealing her identity; This was her half-brother, and she didn't realize just how much she missed him until seeing him once more. "Jack!" she called.

Upon hearing her call, Jack looked wildly around, trying to find the source of the voice. She called out to him again and this time he locked eyes with her. Though it was for but a moment, Rose felt their gaze lasted for hours. His eyes were narrowed in confusion, trying to place where he knew her face from, while hers sparkled in silent satisfaction at finally having seen her sibling once more. The moment was quickly cut off, however, by—

"Rose! Look out!" Ben yelled.

The next thing Rose knew, she was face to face with a rearing horse and fell backwards in astonishment. She took cover, but quickly rolled away from the frightened beast. When she finally looked around her, she saw that the spooked horse was pulling a large carriage. Rose unknowingly had stepped into the middle of a road in order to get to Jack, and had accidentally stopped moving once their eyes had met. The horseman of the carriage had not seen her, and had ordered the poor animal to continue moving onwards, causing a collision.

When Rose fell, her elbow made rough contact with the gravel road, and sat she quickly sat up to rub the dull ache in her joint all while wildly searching for Jack once again. But it was too late—the guards had continued to lead him away up the hill and into the fort.

She hadn't noticed the door of the carriage swing open and a young woman emerge until she was standing over Rose, her hand on her shoulder.

"You poor thing! Are you alright?" she asked. Rose looked up at the girl, whose appearance confused her. She was very beautiful, with a slender, angular face and dark blonde hair. She held an air of authority, but wore a Navy uniform, something no woman _ever_ wore. Suddenly, Rose realized where she knew this face from! It was the same face from the portrait hanging in the mansion; this was the Governor's daughter.

A tall, wigged man was quick to follow her out of the carriage. "Elizabeth!" his deep voice yelled to the Governor's daughter. He came to her side and said under his breath to her, "Please get back to the coach. Your appearance is causing a scene!"

Elizabeth only rolled her eyes and pulled away from this man. "Honestly, James!" she cried. "We nearly ran this poor girl over and you're doing nothing to help her!"

The man clenched his jaw and begrudgingly leaned over to help Rose up, though he only made things worse by yanking her into a standing position by the same arm as her hurt elbow. She winced in pain as she was jettisoned upwards and came within inches of the man's face.

He stared down at her domineeringly. "Perhaps next time you'll take heed before walking directly in front of a Commodore's coach," he sneered.

Just at this moment, Ben caught up to them, breathlessly asking Rose, "Are you alright?"

The Commodore, still holding Rose by her forearm, turned to Ben. "Does this belong to you?" he asked, referring to Rose.

Ben rushed to her side, pulling Rose away from him. "Aye, sir," he replied. "My apologies! We'll be on our way now."

The Commodore raised his eyebrows. "See that you do. In the meantime, learn to control your woman."

Rose's face became flushed in fury, but her eyes met Elizabeth's sympathetic pair. The gaze was broken once yet another person joined in the conversation.

"Is everything alright here?" the newcomer asked. Rose looked to him. He was a handsome young man, slightly younger than herself, with long dark hair that was tied back and a face she vaguely remembered…

Elizabeth suddenly grew very stiff and cold to the man, stating simply, "Yes. We have this all under control, thank you."

The Commodore's eyes glinted in amusement as he took Elizabeth by the arm and led her back into the carriage. Moments later, they were off again, leaving a thick cloud of dust in their trail.

Ben began to lead Rose away from the road, though Rose remained fixated on the now tiny figures of the officers and the pirate prisoners being led away to their stony prisons.

"Are you insane?" Ben whispered to her, breaking her concentration. "You caused us undue attention!"

"It was Jack, Ben! Didn't you see him?" she asked. "He looked right at me!"

"Of course I did!" he replied. "That doesn't mean that you get to simply just go galavanting off in front of a coach!"

Their quarrel was interrupted by a voice that called our behind them. "You there!" he cried.

Ben and Rose looked back behind them. The young man who had just joined in the confrontation at the carriage had rushed to catch up with them as they fled the scene.

The man addressed Rose as he said, "You. You recognized Jack. I saw you see him!"

Rose exchanged a nervous glance with Ben and quickly lied, "No sir, I think I mistook him for someone else."

The man drew close to them and said quietly under his breath, "There's no need for alarm. I'm a friend. My name is Will Turner, and I'm going to help Jack."


	30. Chapter 29 - Plans for Tomorrow

"James Norrington," Will Turner said to Rose. "That's the name of the Commodore you encountered this afternoon. He's an enemy to pirate-kind and has sent orders for Jack to be executed at dawn tomorrow."

"What a wretched man," said Rose. "And the woman he was with? The Governor's daughter?"

"His intended," he replied bitterly. "They're very much engaged to be married."

"The Pirates onboard the _Pearl_ made off with her, correct?" Ben asked.

"Aye. She possessed the missing medallion. She took it from me when we were children, and the pirates mistook her for a Turner. They needed Turner blood, you see, to—" Suddenly, Will stopped. Standing erect. "How much do you know of Isla de Muerta?" he asked them.

"All too much," Ben replied with a snort. "I was a mutineer."

Will narrowed his eyes, "But…how did you escape?"

"Years ago. Been living out the curse in solitude until recently," he said, casting a look at Rose, which Rose purposefully didn't return.

Will followed Ben's gaze and asked Rose, "And you? Also a mutineer?"

Rose paused before answering him, recalling Jack's advice from many years back never to tell anyone how they were related. That information could easily be used against her, as Jack's enemies were vast and varied. She carefully answered Will, "Jack's survival is in my best interests."

Will narrowed his eyes distrustfully and edged closer to her. "That could mean a great many things when it comes to Jack. You could wish to free him merely to kill him yourself, for instance."

"Do you think me a woman scorned?" Rose smirked.

"There must be some reason why you would walk in front of a moving carriage to get to Jack..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Turner," Rose said simply, "You're going to have to trust that my intentions are pure."

Will gave a small laugh, then continued marching up the bluff. Rose and Ben, confused as to if this meant they should follow him, exchanged a glance and raced to catch up with him regardless. Will stopped once he reached the top, and extended his arm out toward the horizon once they caught up with him. "No," he said. " _They'll_ have to trust that your intentions are pure."

Rose followed his arm to where he was motioning, then all breath left her body when she saw it. Sailing towards the island in the car distance was a small, black speck, but Rose was no fool. She knew how large and terrifying the vessel was up close. She knew because she had spent years of her childhood searching for this ship every day only to be met with disappointment. The sensation of pure elation she felt then when she finally saw its presence grace Tortuga's docks was comparable to the joy she felt now. The _Black Pearl_ , in all its glory, was sailing for Port Royal.

Rose turned to Ben to share in the elation, but Ben looked terrified. Quickly, he asked Will, "If the curse on the _Pearl_ is broken, who's captaining her?"

"Worry not," Will said. "With my blood and Jack's bullet, we killed Barbossa."

Rose was floored. "He's dead? For certain?"

Will nodded. "For good." Turning to Ben, he continued. "For the time being, the acting Captain is Joshamee Gibbs. Do you know him?" Both Rose and Ben shook their heads. "He's a good man," Will corroborated. "Jack has trusted him with being his first mate."

"And the rest of the crew?" asked Ben.

"A ragtag group we picked up in Tortuga. A bit unorthodox, I'll admit, but they're loyal enough."

"So how can we help you free Jack, Mr. Turner?" Rose asked.

Will paused a moment, considering this. "You won't," he finally said. "I was able to communicate with Gibbs before we departed Isla de Muerta. They will skirt the island until daybreak, in which they'll approach so they can pick up Jack. I suggest that you make your move then as well and escape. That's the best I can offer."

Rose was surprised by this. "No, you misunderstand. That is very generous of you, but we wish to help you free him. What's the plan?"

Will smiled good-naturedly. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep that information to myself."

Suddenly, Rose understood. Will had learned from Jack, much as she had, to never trust a pirate. She nodded, but said, "I need reassurance that you will succeed in freeing him."

Will motioned to a palm tree behind them. Pointing, he said, "Do you see that knot in the tree?" Rose nodded, and before she could blink, Will's cutlass was jettisoned from its sheath and lodged directly into the center of its target.

Will grinned proudly, "How's that for reassurance?"

Rose nodded, smiling, "That'll do."

"Er... Will?" Ben's voice asked uncertainly from behind them. They turned to see what he was referring to; A parrot flying rapidly towards them from the direction of the _Pearl_.

"Ah, yes," Will said expectantly. Once the bird finally arrived, Will extended an arm out for it to land and perch upon. "What news?" Will asked it.

"RAW. Batten down the hatches!" it cried in response.

Rose, with eyes wide at this multitalented stranger, asked, "It's saying to…prepare for a storm?"

Will laughed. "Cotton, one of our men, has this parrot speak for him, and his vocabulary is limited. Using him is how I was able to communicate the plan to Gibbs as we sailed for Port Royal," turning to Cotton's parrot, he said, "All is ready, and expect two more passengers."

The parrot squawked and flew off once again, presumably to deliver the news back to The _Pearl_ 's crew.

Will's gaze followed the bird as it flew back to its destination, saying to Ben and Rose, "I would hijack a rowboat if I were you. Make off for the _Pearl_ either tonight or tomorrow morning. Do you have a place to stay overnight?"

Ben spoke up. "We already have a boat, but…we don't have a place to stay anymore…"

Suddenly, Rose realized the truth in this statement. Now that the Governor and Elizabeth were back on the island, they quite clearly couldn't remain as stowaways in their pantry. She looked to Ben in concern. "If we make off tonight," she asked, "Would you be strong enough to row?"

He examined how far off the _Pearl_ was from the island, then shook his head in dismay. "I could most likely make half the trip, but no more than that."

To Will, Rose explained, "Ben's weak from the toll the curse took on him, and I cannot see in dark. We seem to be in a quandary." She turned to Ben with a new thought. "Unless I row and you direct me…"

"No no," Will interrupted. "Just depart at first dawn. The _Pearl_ will be closer and you both will have strength and sight restored. I can offer you a place at my blacksmith shop for the night. I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do, as it is my place of employment." Rose grinned, extending a hand to Will and shaking his. "We're in business then, Mr. Turner!"

* * *

Will had walked Rose and Ben into town and to his blacksmith shop. As Will had left his job without any prior notice to rescue Elizabeth, he had quite a bit of explaining to give to his employer to account for his absence and offering residence to two new faces. Will's employer, however, seemed to be a bit of a drunkard and did not stay lucid for long, thereby allowing permission for them to stay the night. Will asked Ben and Rose to surrender their weapons, as was only fair seeing as he did not know either of them well, and provided them shelter in the barn.

"It's not much," Will had said, "But will it do for just a night?" Rose and Ben accepted gratefully, and with that, Will returned to the shop to tie up some odds and ends that were left over from the time before Elizabeth had been kidnapped.

Rose and Ben settled into their new habitat silently, Ben forming a place for them to sleep and Rose refastening the buckles on her belt to ensure that all of her herbs stayed in place throughout the voyage in the morning."

After awhile, Rose's anxious thoughts at the notion of seeing Jack once more took over. "I have no idea where I'm going to go," she said absentmindedly, unaware that she had voiced her concerns out loud.

"What do you mean?" asked Ben quietly.

Rose gulped. "I mean my future. When I find Jack and fulfill the prophecy, then what? This has been my only thought for months now. Now that it's almost here...then what?"

Silence for a moment. Ben then answered, "You could stay with me."

Rose sharply turned to look at him, brow furrowed. "What?"

"Once we see him, what's say you and I go off together?"

She shook her head. "Where?"

"Anywhere! Does it matter?"

Rose pursed her lips, struggling to find the right words between the internal fight she was having with herself. "But…the other half of the prophecy was to 'keep him safe.' I must stay with Jack!"

"Jack has been fine on his own for how many years now?" he protested. "He can go on surviving without you!"

Her jaw tightened. "I don't think I can," she whispered. "It doesn't feel right."

Ben snorted, shaking his head. Though incredulous, his tone was still kind as he said, "And you're still so certain that Jack even wants you aboard?"

A pang of fear pulsed through Rose, as she had been trying deeply to push aside the notion that Jack had never truly intended to keep his promise to her. "Is it Jack's wrath that you fear?" she asked him, deflecting from this thought. "I'm his sister, I can ensure that he will bear you no malice for the past!"

Ben pursed his lips. "No. I fear losing _you."_ He moved closer to her side, looking directly into her eyes. "Every moment I have ever spent with you, you have been dead set on finding your brother. When you both are reunited, you'll have no further use for me, I know this."

"Of course not! Ben, you mean more to me than just a means by which I find Jack! This is a prophecy I _must_ fulfill, you must understand!"

His gaze dropped from her face, and he slowly nodded in understanding. After a moment in silence, he murmured, "Do you reckon it would cause any trouble for you if the _Pearl_ received one passenger instead of the two that Will reported?"

Her mouth fell ajar. "Ben, stop this! Why…why can't we be together on the sea?"

He took a deep breath. "All I ever wanted was to live a life of adventure. I got all of that and far more than I ever bargained for. Now I have been granted a second chance to live with a _purpose._ You cannot simply think that us finding each other once more was chance! It was fate; Together, we have a chance to live happily, free from danger, free from uncertainty… free from the sea. Please!"

She reached her hand out to grasp his. Her heart felt heavy from the conflict she felt. Ben was offering her an ultimatum; It was him or Jack. She could not have both. But Ben did not understand that this choice was far more difficult than merely her saying aloud one of their names. All of her life, Rose had wanted two things; To sail with her brother and to have the love of Ben. One without the other was nearly unfathomable to her.

But then again…there was only one thing that made her decision easier. As she looked into Ben's eyes, the love inside of them suddenly changed into the malevolent pair that stared at her the night before, when Ben physically and emotionally abused her, yet appeared to have no recollection of those deeds at dawn's light. Jack had never performed an action that would deliberately cause her harm, whereas Ben _had_. She wondered if she could ever fully trust Ben again.

She spoke carefully, pleading one final time with Ben. "You're right. It wasn't simply chance that that we were united again. You have been granted the opportunity to live the life you wanted back then _and_ the life you want now if you come with me."

Ben pulled his hand slowly from underneath Rose's. "So…you're going to leave then?"

"Aye."

He nodded slowly, then stood.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked.

"To tell Turner that only one passenger will be going aboard in the morning," Ben murmured quietly. With that, he turned and left the room.

Rose collapsed her head into her hands, feeling deep regret. The only thing that reassured her of the decision she had made was knowing that she could survive without Ben. She was not so certain that Jack could survive without _her_ , however _._


	31. Chapter 30 - Bring Me That Horizon

The nightmare awakened Rose once again, yet she opened her eyes to darkness. She had to pat her side to make certain that she still wasn't asleep. The utter blindness revealed to her that it was still the dead of night, and that she hadn't been asleep long. She had managed to doze off before Ben had returned from telling Will that he would not be accompanying her on the _Pearl_ come the morning light. She listened for a few minutes to the gentle inhaling and exhaling of her treasured friend, holding fast to the last few moments she had with him. She stayed like that for not even she knew how long. She stirred, however, upon catching sight of a flickering light in the distance. She pushed herself up and made her way haphazardly towards the source of the light. The light was coming from behind the doorway that led to the heart of the blacksmith shop. She pushed the door open completely and allowed her eyes to completely adjust to the light, then smiled when she saw Will seated at his desk, illuminated by candlelight.

"I see that you couldn't sleep for long either," she said.

He gave a slight laugh. "Correction, I couldn't sleep _at all._ "

She walked towards him and leaned against the desk. "Anticipation for tomorrow has kept us both awake, it seems."

He nodded. "Aye. There is a lot at stake tomorrow for both of us. And I…haven't really considered every possible outcome until just now."

His uncertainty was causing Rose some slight panic. It was his carefree attitude and steadfast assuredness that he had demonstrated earlier that afternoon that had given her the faith that he could pull off Jack's rescue mission. Tentatively, she said, "You'll succeed in saving Jack, I'm sure of it!"

"Oh I know that," he replied, sending waves of relief surging through Rose. "I just meant _me._ I never considered what this would mean for me, or what could happen because of my actions."

"Well surely you'll joining us aboard the _Pearl_ once you've succeeded in freeing Jack!" Rose said optimistically. When Will only stared deeply into the flames of the flickering candle wicks, suddenly it hit her. "Oh I see," she said softly. "You don't expect to be free yourself once the deed has been done."

Will grimaced. "I don't expect Norrington to _permit_ my freedom. Especially given…other circumstances that put us at odds against one another."

It took a moment for Rose to understand his meaning, but once she did, it was clear as a cloudless day; The chilled atmosphere when Will had intervened between Rose and Elizabeth in the town that morning, the resentment in his voice when he mentioned that Elizabeth and the Commodore were to be married…

"Elizabeth," she said. "You and the Commodore both share affections for her. That's why you went after her with Jack in the first place!" Will looked down in slight embarrassment, but could not hide his slight grin of pride at his own act of courage. Rose grinned,"Very romantic. Is _that_ why you're so gallantly rescuing Jack? To win her over for good?"

"No," he quickly replied. Then he stopped, reconsidering his response. He proceeded to correct himself, stating, "Yes, partly. But mostly, I…I'm not sure what changed my mind. I once loathed pirate-kind, and I used Jack to help me rescue Elizabeth, nothing more. But something has since changed my mind about them."

Rose leaned closer towards him, debating whether or not to say what she was thinking. Carefully, she finally asked, "Did…surely you knew about your father…"

Will looked up at her. "That he himself was a pirate? Yes, I've been informed." He took a deep breath then gave a pensive smile. "I've come to accept that piracy is in my blood within the past few days. It would appear that being a pirate and a good man doesn't have to be mutually exclusive."

Rose shook her head. "Your father was both," she corroborated. "I can attest to that."

"You knew him as well?" he asked. "My word. I've gone my whole life completely without a father, only to be surrounded by people who knew him well in just the past few days."

Rose smiled. "From what I can tell of your merits so far," she said, "He would be incredibly proud to call you his son." Though she was certain of this, she was still confused by his motives. "However, and I mean this with all due respect, but I've been around long enough to know that nothing comes free. No one does anything for anyone else without wanting something out of it for themselves. So what are you getting out of this? You aren't expecting to win the heart of the Governor's daughter, and you could face a death sentence yourself. Why make such a sacrifice free of charge?"

"Jack helped me. I owe him a debt of gratitude."

Rose smirked. "I know Jack, and you owe him _nothing._ He only helped you because there was something for _him_ to get out of it himself."

Will took a deep breath, considering this. "Then, I suppose, I'm doing it because it doesn't seem just. Of all the pirates that I encountered in the past few days, Jack is the least deserving of a death sentence."

Rose smiled warmly. "Thank you, Will. I have perfect faith in you."

She moved to return back to where Ben was, leaving Will to continue preparing for the important day ahead of them, but his voice stopped her, stating, "Hold on a moment. You've sailed with both Jack and my father…you still haven't told me who you are or what your business with Jack is."

"Nor shall I," Rose said with a smile. "Busy yourself with the plan, Mr. Turner."

He grinned and nodded a brief goodbye. Right before she was plunged back into darkness, she left him with one final thought; "And make sure you make a grand declaration of love for your intended before the real danger begins. She can't refuse you then!"

* * *

"You're sure you can manage this? You can see?" Will asked with concern.

Rose peered into the horizon. The sun was just about to rise, but was as of yet in that hazy, light blue stage that made the air grow ever more still, ever more frigid.

"I can't make anything out in the far distance, but I have a compass on me," she reported. "They're headed for the island due East, correct?"

"Aye," Ben said, therein uttering the first word he had said to her that day. She swallowed back her resentment and merely nodded.

"I had best be off then," Will chirped, eyes wide with adrenaline. She could barely make out his silhouette, but she could tell that he had donned a large feathered hat, and she couldn't help but smile that he had taken her advice and was prepared to do the utmost to impress Elizabeth.

"Best of luck to you," she wished. "If you do run into danger, please find some way to signal the _Pearl._ We can find some means of aiding you both."

There was some hesitation in Will's voice as he said simply, "We'll see." He then backed away and began making his way up the hill leading back into town. Rose was left alone with Ben, and the tension between them was colder than the morning sea breeze.

Finally, she decided to be the bigger person and speak first. "See to it that he succeeds," she said sharply. Ben murmured in affirmation, then moved to give her boat a push away from the shore. As he leaned down, Rose silently wished that he would change his mind and would leap into the boat to continue their journey together.

But before she knew it, he had given the boat a good shove, sending it into the gently lapping waves. Rose dipped her oars into the water and began rowing away from the sunrise, right where the _Pearl_ would be headed right for the island.

Ben didn't even wish her well, nor said his goodbyes.

* * *

The sun was nearly completely up by the time she had met the _Black Pearl_ a few leagues away from the island.

"Come about!" she heard a voice yell from the deck of the tall looming ship. Even though danger lied ahead, Rose couldn't help but feel giddy with excitement over seeing her brother's ship once more in all its glory.

Before she knew it, someone had slid down a rope and landed surefooted into the boat beside her. To Rose's surprise, it was a woman! She was a beautiful, but stern-looking.

"You're expected," she barked loudly.

"…aye…" Rose stammered, taken aback by this aggressive stranger.

Taking the rope she had just slid down, this girl took the end and began to fasten it to one end of the rowboat. "Don't just sit there!" she commanded, motioning to another rope that had been dropped nearby. "Take that and follow my lead."

Still a bit uncertain, Rose fumbled to keep up with this woman, who was obviously very skilled on the water. She looked over her shoulder to examine Rose's handiwork and exhaled in exasperation.

"Give me that!" she cried, yanking the rope out of her hands and retying it herself. "If you didn't know we're in a bit of a rush, and your inexperience certainly isn't helping matters!"

"Then leave it behind," Rose suggested. "It'll only slow us down anyways."

"Nay," the woman protested, putting the finishing touch on her knot and giving the line a firm yank to signal those hoisting the rowboat from above on deck. "The mutineers managed to somehow lose all of their longboats. We'll take what we can get!"

Rose took hold to steady herself as the boat began to steadily lift out of the water and hover a few lengths away from the side of the ship. In their suddenly still silence, Rose extended a hand to her new acquaintance.

"Rose Hexfury," she introduced herself. "What's your name?"

"Anamaria," replied she, briefly squeezing Rose's outstretched hand, then returning her attention fully on the action from above.

Anamaria helped Rose climb out of the boat and onto the _Pearl's_ deck, where all crew mates were bustling with anticipation of the rescue ahead, though being far fewer than that of the original _Pearl_ crew. These people were certainly misfits as Will had described. The crew from her childhood all shared a similarity of being complete rogues and scallawags, these scallawags seemed a little less…wild. Less driven by treachery. This meant that Jack had either learned his lesson in picking his companions more carefully, or simply, this was all that Tortuga had left to offer.

A scruffy-looking man met her on deck. "I believe Mr. Turner informed us that two would be joining us this morning."

"Aye," Rose said, unable to hide her chagrin. "That there was, but there was a sudden change of plans."

The man pursed his lips. "It's bad enough luck to have one woman aboard, let alone two at once. I'm not so certain about this…"

"Believe me, good sir, it is in your best interests to have me aboard. This shall all be rectified once Jack has returned to the ship, I assure you."

"Let's hope," the man said skeptically. "The name's Joshamee Gibbs, longtime friend of the Captain and his family."

Rose was unable to conceal her grin as she carefully stated, "Hexfury. Rose Hexfury." She had no choice at this moment but to leave the words, _If you are a friend of Jack and his family, then that means that we too are friends, Master Gibbs,_ unspoken, but perhaps soon enough she could at last reveal the truth about her parentage.

"Well, Miss Hexfury," Gibbs said, pointing along the shoreline to where the fortress loomed atop the hillside. "We're as of yet still concealed behind that cliff face, and we'll stay right here for a time. But we intend to make haste as soon as the parrot returns. That signals that Jack's scheduled hanging is about to commence."

Rose understood. "And by the time you sail around that face, the timing should be right for Jack to make his way to us, then?"

"Aye, that's the idea, given that things go according to plan…and Lord knows that they most assuredly _never_ go according to plan, especially where Jack is concerned!"

Rose smiled, preparing to agree with his statement, when she suddenly heard a cry from another crewman.

"Man overboard!"

All on deck scrambled to peer over the starboard side of the ship, including Rose and Gibbs.

"I can't see!" Gibbs cried, pushing aside men who were lingering along the banister. "Is it an officer?"

Rose pushed her way to the front alongside him, peering down at the newcomer afloat in the open ocean; Ben. Her eyes went wide when she saw his slightly demure expression as he reached out to climb up the rigging of the ship.

"It's no officer," she explained to Gibbs. "It's the second individual Will informed you about! He came after all!"

They helped him aboard, and he quickly wrung himself out and pushed the hair back from his eyes. Rose rushed to his side.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you had made up your mind."

"I had thought so too…until about as soon as you began to row away from me." His mouth began to turn upwards slightly into a lopsided grin that made Rose smile as well.

"So, are you staying?"

"If he'll have me, yes," Ben confirmed. "And, of course, if _you'll_ still have me."

She put a hand on his arm firmly. "Of course," she said merrily. Only a few hours ago, she had accepted the fact that she could not possess a life with both Jack and Ben, but she could not be happier that somehow, with Ben's sudden change of heart, both of her dreams could come true.

There was still the matter of making sure that Jack actually was _alive_ , and the next part of the rescue mission went into effect almost immediately after Ben's reunion with the _Pearl_ when Cotton's parrot flew back to the ship. Gibbs gave the orders to skirt the shoreline headed right for the fortress, and steadily, the morbid, stony palace grew plainly into sight.

Rose rushed up the stairs to the wheel, where Anamaria steered with eyes unwavering from the targeted location. "Will they fire at us?" she asked her.

"Perhaps," Anamaria replied. "But chances are they'll be so distracted that it will be too late to man their cannons before we're already headed out to free waters."

"Aye," Ben corroborated, standing beside Rose. "The _Pearl_ is the fastest ship in the Caribbean, they'll have little hope in catching us that quickly."

Anamaria looked to him. "You're acquainted with her?"

"More than acquainted," Ben admitted. "I've sailed her."

Anamaria had little time to question Ben about this, for suddenly, a large splash drew their attention to the waves below the fort.

"Give me your telescope," Rose said to Ben, who quickly obliged. Extending it, Rose frantically searched the churning waters amongst jagged rocks right along the shoreline. For a long time, whatever had fallen from that great height failed to break the surface of the waves once more. She prayed silently that this being that had fallen and not reappeared was not her half-brother, and maybe just an unlucky Naval officer.

All of these wishes disappeared, however, when something _did_ break the surface, however, and that something owned a long mop of dark hair that could belong to no one else but Jack. Rose let out a holler in joy, exclaiming, "It's him! It's Jack!"

"Dead ahead, lads! Full cover!" Gibbs ordered. There was a tangible energy in everyone's step and sound on deck upon discovering that Jack had made it out alive and was currently swimming right for them! Even Anamaria had a wide grin on her face.

The rest of the crew was busying themselves with sailing the ship swiftly towards where Jack was currently swimming up to the ship's side, and Rose was glued to Ben's telescope, almost afraid to lose sight of him once again. Once he had come close enough that Rose felt certain that their mission was fully a success, she suddenly thought of Will. She wondered if he managed to get away. She repositioned the scope and peered up at the fort looming over the cliff to see if she could catch a glimpse of any activity. What she found made her even happier, for there, right next to the spot from which Jack had presumably fallen a few moments before, stood Will and Elizabeth sharing a kiss warmed by the rising sun.

Rose beamed. "He won her heart after all!" she whispered merrily. Silently, she thanked Will for having kept his word and succeeding to rescue her half-brother.

Jack was hoisted on deck with such a force that he nearly flew from one side to the other, but thankfully landed right at the wheel. The crew rushed to him, and though every muscle in Rose's body was tensed to do the same, she stayed behind with Ben. _One thing at a time,_ she told herself. _Let him reunite with_ the Pearl, _then with you._

From afar, they watched as Jack was helped to his feet and once again stood at the wheel, taking Anamaria's place. Silence fell among them as they watched Jack revel in taking his rightful place as Captain once again. But just as soon as that moment began, it ended, for Jack began barking orders and his men all rushed to make sail for a yet-to-be-determined location. Rose watched as her brother, now alone at the wheel, grabbed his trusted compass and stared happily towards his heading.

As he closed the compass with a loud click, Rose turned to Ben, nearly breathless with nerves. "I think I'm ready," she said. "Come with me."

Ben nodded hesitantly. "It's best if I stay behind you, though. It would be best if joy upon seeing you came before anger upon seeing _me."_

Together, they moved closer to the wheel, but Jack was preoccupied with his captaining.

"Master Gibbs!" he shouted.

"Aye Cap'n?" replied Gibbs, materializing immediately as if out of thin air.

"We sail for Tortuga."

Gibbs grinned gleefully. "Aye sir!"

"Take the wheel, then," said Jack, handing off the wheel and walking steadily right towards Rose and Ben. "I'm off to go examine and rectify the damage Hector has done to my quarters."

He passed Rose and Ben, not having seen them. Rose took a sharp inhale of breath, prepared to say something to stop him, but he was too quick. However, he stopped abruptly after passing them and backed up, eyes squinting dangerously into Ben's.

Rose's heart sank when she realized that he had recognized Ben before her. This was not according to plan.

"You…" Jack growled, pointing a many-ringed finger right into Ben's face.

"I can explain…" Ben gulped.

Jack smiled, "Oh, no need for that." With a frantic flourish of his hands, he caught the attention of two of his more bulkier men. "Take _this,"_ he ordered them, referring to Ben, "And toss him overboard. I won't be sailing with any mutineers from the past on this day!"

"No!" Rose cried, attempting to pry these men's hands off of Ben. "Please Jack—er… _sir,_ Mr. McHenry evaded Barbossa's reign!"

"It's true," Ben chimed in. "I left nearly as soon as the mutiny occurred. I regret it, sir."

Jack looked skeptical. "Aye, easy to say anything to appease the winning side!"

"It's the truth, sir!" cried Ben.

"Aye, Captain!" Rose echoed. "We both even aided William Turner in his rescue of you not moments ago!"

Jack paused at hearing this, reconsidering. "Fine then," he finally announced. "Take these two to the brig. I can't risk another mutiny, so we'll keep them the night and let them off at Tortuga." He seemed satisfied at his decision, spun on his heel and headed straight for his quarters once more.

Rose wiggled out out of her captor's grip and ran to keep pace with Jack, who had his eyes set straight ahead.

"Please, sir, I think it's in your best interests that you keep us aboard."

"Is that so?" said he, uninterested.

"Aye! I have something that belongs to you!"

Jack _did_ pause at this, stopping his movement and looking at her in alarm. "What is it? It's not a child, is it? If it is, it wasn't me! I didn't do it!"

Rose couldn't help but laugh at this. "No," she said, with a grin. "It's something precious, and long-awaited."

Jack's brow further furrowed. "Still sounds like a child. Do get to it and assuage my fears."

Rose reached around her neck and procured his pendant. Looking downward at his belt, she grinned upon seeing that hers still stayed with him.

His eyes widened in sudden realization of who she really was. It had been ten painstakingly long years, and at last, Rose had finally made it.

"Hello, brother!"


	32. Epilogue, Part 1

"Really," reasoned Rose, "It's fine. I can bunk with the rest of the crew. If Anamaria can manage, so can I."

"Nonsense!" Jack scoffed. "No sister of mine will be turned away from a place in the Captain's quarters. If I didn't already have a First Mate, you'd be it!"

Rose smiled as she folded a sheet across her makeshift bed, the self-same sleeping arrangement she had had all those years ago.

"It was kind of you to keep Ben on," Rose said for about the fifth time that evening. She kept stating her gratitude just in case Jack had suddenly changed his mind.

"Mmm…" he hummed, still with a tone of skepticism. "We'll see how he does. I've got Gibbs keeping a close eye on that one. But if you say he's changed…"

"He has!" lied Rose. While Ben no longer wished ill upon Jack, his mind and physical health was still unsteady as a result of the hardships he had just endured. There was no doubt in her mind, however, that she could bring him back to normal. "He'll serve you well," she assured him.

Jack was reclining in a large chair, feet up on his desk. "It feels good to be back," he said with a smile.

"I should say the same for myself," said Rose, taking a seat upon her newly made bed. "It's been far too long!"

"Aye!"

Rose took a deep breath, then encroached upon the subject that had been keeping her so fearful for such a long time. "Jack?"

"Mmm?"

"Barbossa mutinied against you upon that deserted isle shortly upon leaving me with Tia Dalma, correct?"

"Indeed."

"And when did you escape it?"

"Three days later," said he. "Rumrunners can come in quite handy when they need to be." He suddenly sat up, "But if anyone asks, I was there for _months!_ "

Rose smiled, but quickly returned to the subject at hand. "And…when you got off it, what did you do with the remaining ten years?"

Suddenly, Jack understood her meaning. "Ah…you wish to know why I didn't find a way to come back to the bayou and fetch you, eh?"

"In so many words, yes."

Jack stood and meandered towards her. "Truth is, love, I had made you a promise that the next time we'd see each other is right here, onboard the _Pearl._ And here we are! Promise fulfilled!"

 _Thanks in no small part to me,_ Rose couldn't help but think. She left these words unspoken, however. "So…you're saying that if I wasn't already aboard today, you would have made your way to the bayou to retrieve me?"

Jack paused, eyes darting from side to side, considering this before he replied. The silence was incredibly painful before he replied with what Rose considered to be a boldfaced lie, "Yes, of course!"

She decided to shake off her fears at this moment, however. What was done was done, and she was here now. Anything else didn't really matter…at least for the time being. "I could have helped you take her back, you know," she said to prove her worth. "Perhaps with more help, even in less time!"

"I don't doubt that, but it's better this way, methinks. And it wasn't too terrible in the bayou, was it?"

"No," Rose replied.

"And Angelica? How was living with that?"

"Tortuous, but what won't kill you makes you stronger," she reasoned. "Tia let us both leave at the same time. I lost contact with her as soon as I met up with Ben."

"Oh, I doubt I've seen the last of her," Jack said demurely. "If not in my nightmares, certainly to take whatever I possess as what she feels is justified revenge."

"On that thought," Rose questioned, "What about the Navy? They're certainly not going to let you just get away with your freedom."

"Certainly not! I may have left the Commodore bamboozled, but he'll soon enough recover and come at us full score. We'll be ready for him, though." He leaned closer to her, as though sharing a secret. "Improvisation, remember?"

Rose grinned. "So what's next for the great Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"And the infallible Rose Hexfury!" he announced. "I still like that name, by the way!"

"Well, now that you have the _Pearl,_ we're utterly unstoppable!"

Jack stopped and gave a slight, uncomfortable sneer at this. "Well, actually, I don't really…"

Rose's expression fell. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I owe someone quite a deal for it…"

Rose gave an exasperated sigh. "What man? How much?"

"Well I don't necessarily owe him money…nor is it a _man_ , strictly speaking…"

"Jack… What have you done?"

"Well…remember the deal I made with Jones for the _Pearl_?"

"I recall a ridiculous tale you told to a frightened girl you were leaving behind on Tortuga…"

Jack took her by the shoulders, suddenly growing quite serious. "It was real. He's real. Davy Jones and the _Flying Dutchman_ are very real, very slimy, and very prompt with their deadlines."

Rose furrowed her brow. "What do you owe him?"

"Er…my soul?"

"JACK!" Rose exclaimed.

"BUT! But! I intend to circumvent the whole nasty confrontation entirely! There is a chest, and inside the chest is the root of Jones's power. And if I get that power… I'll live forever."

Rose was quiet for a time, and cast her eyes downwards, considering all this. _Of course this reunion wouldn't be easy, how foolish to expect any less,_ she thought to herself. Jack was trying to peer into her eyes as if to better read her expression.

Finally, Rose returned his stare. "How do we go about finding that chest, then?"


	33. Prologue, Part 2

"Ow!" Rose responded to the sharp pain in her scalp. "Is the pulling really necessary?"

"With this mop of hair? 'Necessary' doesn't begin to cover it," Giselle stated plaintively, continuing to rake at Rose's hair with a brush. "You want to look the part, don't ya?"

"Aye…"

"Then," she said, giving Rose's head a good thwack with the brush, causing her to recoil in pain. "Learn it now: _beauty is pain!"_

Scarlett suddenly reappeared from the back of the room, setting down various powders and paints for Rose's face. The fiery redhead took one look at the progress (or lack thereof) that Giselle had made with Rose and made a disgusted face.

"What, you think you can do better?" Giselle cried, insulted by Scarlett's expression. "Here! _You_ try!"

"I think we're beyond trying…" Scarlett said with a grimace. "That hair won't cut it." Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Unless _we_ cut it!"

"Absolutely not!" Rose said sternly. "No one is cutting my hair!" When neither Giselle nor Scarlett responded, Rose threw her arms down in despair. "Forget it! Jack or no, this disguise is never going to work. Thank you for your time ladies, but this was a mistake."

"We're not giving you your money back, you know," Scarlett reminded her. "Jack paid us to make you look like a convincing lady of the night, so you might as well take what service we can provide."

Giselle gave Scarlett a look. "But if we can't make her look like something even a blind fella would buy, what's the point? Let her leave and we'll make off with the money!"

Scarlett looked as though she was about to consider this offer, but Rose quickly interrupted that thought before they could act on it. "Fine! Continue. But make it quick. If we miss the Bride Auction then this was all for nothing. And _no_ hair cutting!"

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Scarlett. "Wait a minute…a wig!" She rushed off to procure said wig from the back room. Giselle called after her, "I'll start on her face, but don't pick out anything too _ig-greg-e-oose!"_

Rose assumed the word that Giselle was attempting to pronounce was, "egregious," but soon put her mind to other topics. As she felt various brushes and powderpuffs tickle her cheeks, she closed her eyes and tried to think of the day ahead.

Rose's job that day was to serve as a distraction. They were on the island of Tortuga, where every so often, a Bride Auction would take place. These weren't so much legitimate marriages as much as they were a bidding war between lonely pirates for female accompaniment for a night. While the town were busy at the auction, Rose's half-brother, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, had planned to visit and/or threaten a former "friend" who supposedly held knowledge about the location of the chest of Davy Jones.

Rose had volunteered her services willingly. The plan was for two others of Jack's "friends" (although Rose used that term lightly, as they were more "jilted lovers" than "friends") would help make Rose into an irresistible beauty and enter her in the auction, therefore extending the length of time that the town would be preoccupied and giving Jack more time to complete his search. This wasn't Rose's problem to resolve, but she still felt a strong urge to help her sibling as best as she could.

Jack was eight years Rose's senior. They shared a father in the ever-elusive Captain Edward Teague. Teague was married to Jack's mother and had an affair with Rose's mother, a gypsy from France. Rose never knew her father, only meeting him briefly one time when Jack had accidentally ran into her aboard a slave ship. The only thing that had united them and proved of their relation was two pendants that were halves on their own, but whole together. Teague had given each side to Jack and Rose's mothers, who in turn had each passed the pendant on to their children. The pendant symbolized far more than their relationship; It became a promise that one day the two would sail the seas together. Jack left Rose behind on this very island thirteen years ago to procure the ship of his dreams, the _Black Pearl._ Little did Rose know at the time that Jack had made a deal with a man Rose had always assumed was mere legend, Davy Jones. After a devastating mutiny, Jack lost the _Pearl_ to his traitorous crew and first mate Barbossa. Barbossa had also managed to convince Jack to leave Rose behind at the bayou-dwelling of a voodoo priestess named Tia Dalma, where Rose remained for the past ten years. Once she was finally free to go, Rose was reunited with a childhood friend and one of Jack's mutineers, Ben McHenry, who had escaped Barbossa's reign of terror across the seas. The mutineers had happened upon cursed Aztec gold, and as a result became skeletons in the moonlight. The curse was broken thanks to the help of a Governor's daughter, a blacksmith, and Jack Sparrow himself. Jack regained the _Pearl_ and was finally reunited with Rose, but now had a looming debt to pay to Jones. If Jack could find Davy Jones's secret chest, the source of all his power, Jack would not only be able to keep the _Pearl,_ but also live forever.

This was all Rose knew of the legend, and Jack seemed not to know much more. That was the purpose of today's mission—reconnaissance. But as if this were not enough, Jack and his crew were in the midst of being pursued by the Royal British Navy stationed out of Port Royal, who had captured Jack but had failed to complete his death sentence. The Navy was merciless towards pirate-kind, and keeping Jack away from their wrath would certainly prove to be a challenge.

With all of this stress looming over Rose's head, she had barely even considered her _own_ struggles. Rose was born with night blindness, and could not see in low-light. It was important for the auction to take quite a long time to give Jack the most time to succeed in his mission, but then again, if it took too much time, Rose might have lost her sense of vision as soon as night fell. Additionally, Jack had failed to cover what to do if some scallawag succeeded in buying her!

Rose was pulled from her thoughts, however, when she felt a tug on the top of her head. "Got the wig!" Scarlett had announced.

Giselle sighed. "That thing? Ugh…did I expect any less from the likes of you? Red doesn't match her complexion!"

Rose wanted to open her eyes to examine her reflection in the looking glass, but was flicked on the nose by Giselle when she tried to do so. "I'm not done with yer eyes yet! Keep 'em closed!"

All without seeing, she stood carefully as Giselle finished with her makeup and Scarlett finished dressing her. Once she felt a hat being placed on her head as a finishing touch, she was permitted to look at her reflection.

Rose was taken aback by what she saw. No more thick, black gypsy hair, but a wild mane of about a thousand red curls. Her father's striking eyes that she shared with her brother were concealed by a thick layer of blue paint over her eyelids. Her cheek now donned a beauty mark. She has been stuffed into a painfully tight corset, but the resulting red dress that she could now fit into was worth it. Finally, an asymmetrical hat tied the whole look together. Giselle and Scarlett grinned at their handiwork.

"You'll be irresistible!" Scarlett exclaimed. "They'll want the redhead!"


	34. Chapter 1 - We Wants the Redhead

"Hello," Rose cooed flirtatiously to the auctioneer, having stumbled her way down the cobblestone streets of Tortuga in her heeled shoes. _Smile, be charming, smile, be charming…_ she repeated over and over in her head.

"Hello, lass," the auctioneer cried, dramatically sweeping into a large bow. "And what a lovely lady you are, indeed!"

Rose would have sneered at him were not her performance so vital to the success of Jack's mission. So instead, she just batted her eyelashes and hid her face bashfully with her hand. At least this is what Rose _thought_ high society women did.

"And what might I assist you in, miss?" the auctioneer bellowed.

Her heart raced as she said, "I am here to sign up for the auction."

The auctioneer eyed her up and down, looking at her in bewilderment. "Why?" he asked.

 _Oomph._ Rose felt like she had just been socked in the stomach. She hadn't anticipated that sort of reaction "Well…" she stuttered, "I need the money!" _Bad choice._ She quickly corrected herself. "I'm orphaned and…and I have nowhere to turn. And…oh! And I don't wish to become a woman of the night and I—"

But thankfully, the auctioneer wasn't concerned with an honest backstory. He was out to make a profit, and with Rose, he knew he could certainly expect a profit. He took her arm and wove it through the crook of his own as he gallantly announced, "My dear, of course not! And an honest bride you shall be after tonight! What beauty! Yer sure to win a well-oft beau!"

 _And by "well-oft" you surely mean the one who has swindled the most doubloons,_ Rose thought behind her forced smile.

"Tell me," he continued. "Is that your natural hair?"

She gulped as she lied, "Yes."

He grinned, thrusting his gold-capped grin into her visage. "Then we'll call you The Redhead, eh?"

Rose nodded timidly. _Yes fine! As long as I am distracting enough for Jack to get what he needs…_

He led her to the town square, bordering the river, where the auction was coming to fruition. Two rough looking men held a rope which tethered nine women together. They all appeared to be widows. There was no one there under the age of fifty. Most of them wore the remains of what looked like their former wedding gowns, and gazed sullenly at the ground. Rose suddenly realized why she would be such a commodity… She also began to panic when she realized that not only was she being tethered to the line around the waist, but she was being placed right in the middle of the women.

She tried to keep her voice calm as she asked the auctioneer, who had now begun to bark to passersby to advertise this evening's entertainment, "Won't I go last, as I just now joined?" She _needed_ to go last, to ensure that Jack could return in an adequate amount of time to help free her. Also, she was trapped here. She couldn't escape anywhere at all like this if things went awry.!

The auctioneer called back to her, "No, dearie! ye cannot come too late! Elsewise how would we sell the others?"

Rose exhaled, trying to calm her nerves. The armed men had finished tying her waist to the line and had returned to their spots in the front and rear of the line. Rose looked over her shoulder at the woman behind her. She had to be over sixty, and grinned a drunken, toothless smile that made Rose recoil, so instead she tried communicated with the woman ahead of her.

"Psst!" she whispered. The woman leaned back to acknowledge her. Rose whispered again, "Why are you doing this?"

The woman snorted. "The bastard left me. What else am I gonna do?"

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Anything you wish! You're a pirate, aren't you?"

The woman smirked. "Me? Sail the seas? Too much effort, love. I don't want to work to earn my keep. Work just isn't my style."

Rose leaned away from her. These were the strangest women she had ever encountered. The woman ahead of her turned her body around more to give Rose a good looking over. "You're pretty, you'll go fast," she said in monotone. "This is my third time on the auction line, and things get quite awkward when nobody wants ye. You won't have to worry 'bout that."

Suddenly, Rose wished more than ever for this day to be over. _Please, Jack,_ she prayed. _Get here quickly. I can't afford to "go quick."_

The auction began precisely at 6 o'clock. A few men were lingering around the auction block, mostly drunkards who had no clue where they were in relation to anything or anyone else on Earth. _This is a joke,_ Rose thought.

Thankfully, the lack of attendance mixed with the sorry sights of the three women coming up to auction in front of Rose and her new friend took quite awhile to get through. By the time they got to the woman ahead of her, Rose could spot Cotton in the crowd. After some scanning, she spotted Marty posted by a crate. At least there were some _Pearl_ crew members scattered in the crowd. It was also then that Rose noticed the severe increase in male attendance. And not just drunkards, several merchants and captains had also surfaced.

The woman in front of Rose leaned back to her once more. "Looks like you scared up quite the crowd, Redhead!"

Rose only nodded, unable to shake the fearful expression from her face. Her eyes met Marty's. He gave her an encouraging nod, and then her eyes began to scan the crowd again. She found Giselle and Scarlett standing by a lamppost. With a motion of her hand, Giselle reminded her to smile, and she instantly obeyed, silently reminding herself to breathe. _Where was Jack?!_

The woman before Rose came up to the front. The auctioneer cried out, "Weigh anchor now, ye swabbies! What be I offered for this winsome wench? Stout-hearted, and corn-fed she be!"

A pirate heckled from the crowd, "Hey! Be ya sellin' her by the pound?"

The auctioneer seem unfazed, however, instructing the woman, "Shift yet cargo, dearie. Show 'em yer larboard side."

"We wants the redhead!" a drunken pirate slurred from somewhere on the bridge. Rose's blood ran cold once she realized that he was talking about her.

"Allay there, you fo'c's'le swab!" warned the auctioneer.

This call crew into a chant amongst the bidding men. "We wants the redhead!" they cried. "We wants the redhead!"

"Avast there!" a balding man sitting by the bridge yelled, firing off his weapon. This quelled the crowd for a moment, until…

"Harold?" the increasingly frustrated "bride" ahead of Rose screeched, peering into the crowd. Everyone, including Rose, followed her gaze to a small, skinny, unshaven man wearing an oversized hat standing in the rear of the group. The man quickly leapt to cover his face with the hat.

"Harold! Don't try to hide from me!" she shouted again. "I know it's you, you bastard!"

The man known as Harold gave up his attempts to hide. "Aww Marguerite! I'm sorry, but I moved on!"  
"Like hell you did!" Marguerite called back. "You married me!"

"A lot of people married you!"

"Yeah, but none o' them had the gall to come back here and bid on other women!"

"I came for the redhead, Marguerite!"

Rose felt her jaw go limp. Was… _everyone_ here for her? as Marguerite pointed at Rose. "HER?!" she cried. "You honestly think you could afford HER?! Harold, I know how dirt poor you are!"

"Aww Marguerite!" he moaned. "That's what all these blokes is doin' here! She's what's the biggest news this town has had in years! I thought I'd throw my hat in for consideration!"

But sadly, Harold's competitors did not want to hear this. A chorus of hisses and boos, along with the occasional "Go home!" or "You already have a wife! Take 'er!" resounded from the crowd of men. Rose looked at the auctioneer and his wife, who looked like happy children at a marionette show. This was madness!

Marguerite demanded one of the guards to cut her free, and she marched up to where her husband stood, grabbing him by the ear and dragging his yelping figure stumbling down the street and around a corner into the great unknown.

 _This can't have gone worse,_ Rose thought in a panic. Now Marguerite was gone in a flash, leaving Rose standing there, the next woman to be auctioned off. _Please, Jack! Please…_ She prayed that these men, who were supposedly all here to fight over her, would haggle and fight over a price long enough for Jack to resurface.

Her wish came true in the form of Giselle and Scarlett again, who wildly waved their arms to get her attention. When she finally saw them, Scarlett took a seductive pose, putting one arm up behind her ear and another slightly revealing her ankle. _Of course!_ Rose leaned down elegantly and picked up the end of her skirt, lifting the material and exposing her bare calf. The whistles and hoots increased to deafening proportions.

"Alright! Alright quiet down," the auctioneer cried out over the men's hollering. "Strike yer colours, ye brazen wench," he called to Rose. "No need to expose your superstructure!" Rose gave a winning smile and turned for the men to see her, posing like some of the painted ladies she had seen on posters around Tortuga during her youth. "And now, ye bilge rats," he continued, "Do I hear six? Who makes it six?"

Rose stopped listening when she looked over the crowd and saw powdered wigs staring back at her from the rear of the square. _The Navy!_ Rose felt panic start to rise in her chest. This meant that Norrington had caught up with the _Pearl!_ Where was Jack? Had they already captured him _and_ the _Pearl?_

Chanting stirred her from her trance. "We wants the Redhead! We wants the Redhead!" they called out.

 _"_ QUIET YOU SCUM!" the man by the bridge shouted once more, firing off his weapon. The noise subsided, and the bidding continued. Rose feared the worst, but had to continue with her charade, all the while keeping one eye on the Navy officers, who ogled her from their position across the bay. One man pushed his way in front of them and ordered the men to continue onwards. They all rushed down an alley leading to another part of town, but the man who gave the orders remained. He scanned the crowd. He was looking for someone!

 _So they haven't found Jack after all!_

This man was shouldering his way through the crowd, but barely anyone acknowledged him because they were still so fixated on the rapidly increasing bidding. As the officer grew nearer and nearer to the block, his eyes met Rose's and lingered there. Rose's expression grew earnest and she let her smile fade. He looked her up and down and sneered at her, stalking back where he came from. Instead of following the other men, Rose watched him stand posted with his hands behind his back, looking over the scene in front of him placidly. Another officer joined him. Rose gulped.

"I'm not scrounging for rum! It be gold I'm after!" she heard the auctioneer call to one of the highest bidders, who had apparently run out of money and had started instead to offer up any personal belonging he had to his name.

"Fifteen shillings!"

A horrible silence fell over the crowd. Rose realized in terror that this was the highest bid, and even worse, that no other man was willing to bid higher. She looked at her future husband, a man around the age of seventy, who, much like the woman behind Rose in line, also had little to no teeth left in his skull.

"Going once…" the auctioneer called out.

Rose looked desperately for Jack in the crowd. _Please, Jack! Where are you?_

"Going twice…"

"Oi!" a voice surfaced from the far right of the stage Rose stood upon. Rose watched triumphantly as her brother popped out from behind a cart, knocking loose several mannequins that were advertising a tailor shop. The crowd began to let loose several unsettled remarks about this new drama to the auction of "The Redhead." Rose looked up in a panic and saw the two Navy officers hastily conversing. The one who had glared at her sent the other in the same direction the other men had gone, most likely to retrieve them. She then saw him draw his pistol and quickly make his way through the crowd toward Jack.

"Oi!" Jack cried again. "Whatever that bloke offered, double it!" The unease in the audience only magnified.

Over the outrage, the auctioneer cried out, "Thirty shillings?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure! Why not?" he then leaned around several bodies and made eye contact with the former highest bidder. "Sorry mate. A man's got to do what a man's got to do!" The toothless wonder just grimaced.

Jack shot a triumphant grin Rose's direction, which was met only with a horrified expression from Rose as she quickly shook her head, trying to tell Jack to flee at once.

"Going once?" the auctioneer tried once more.

"Make that two pounds," a dark, deep voice boomed. Another bidder! The other men were close to rioting, the noise was so intense.

Rose's heart pounded in her chest, as she followed the men's gazes to where they were examining this newcomer to the bidding. The officer! He had worked his way so that he stood parallel to Jack, only a few paces away. The officer glared in amusement at Jack, and Rose saw his pistol pointed subtlety right at him, his arm aligned with his Navy jacket.

The officer grinned like a cat who had just caught a mouse by the tail and was gleefully watching it try to escape his claws. "Care to outbid me?"

Jack squinched up his nose. "Meh. Not particularly." Rose raised her eyebrows, but from a quick flick of his wrist waving her off, Rose realized that Jack was trying to divert attention off of her, and was not feeding her to the hungry cat after all.

But this motion did not go unobserved by the officer, however. He began to laugh and he looked up where Rose stood. Rose was frozen, unsure of what move to make. Letting his gun go slack in his hand for a moment, the officer mounted the steps up to the auctioning stage.

"I do believe that that's a 'going once, going twice, and sold' to me, correct?"

The auctioneer smiled in confusion, still putting on the act. These pirates were not completely moronic. They knew the power a Navy official had over them. So graciously, he replied, "Of course, sir!"

He turned to Rose and stalked toward her. Rose never felt more exposed in her life. She wanted so desperately to run, but she was stuck there. His eyes still glinted in amusement as he growled, "It's _Commodore."_

Rose felt the air leave her lungs. _Norrington!_ The was the man responsible for this ridiculous chase! Suddenly, she very much remembered him. Back on Port Royal, his cart had nearly run her over, and would have had Elizabeth Swann, the Governor of Port Royal's daughter not leapt out to help her. He had begrudgingly helped her up, though "helped" is still too kind a term. They had come as close to one another as they now were, reunited, though it Rose doubted that he recognized her in her current disguise.

He slowly walked up to her, letting the air grow stiff with tension. When he was mere inches from her, he caused Rose to start, for he pulled out his finely crafted sword, which glinted in the light of the square, chopping Rose free from the other women. He sheathed the sword calmly, and then he sprung, pinning Rose's arms against her with one arm and pressing his gun against her head with the other, spinning her toward Jack. As though it was expertly rehearsed, naval officers sprang out from every direction, causing onlookers to scatter. Jack motioned for Cotton and Marty to find the _Pearl_ and alert them of danger, and they quickly scattered as well. Soon, it was just Rose and Jack amidst thirty armed officials, bayonets surrounding them on all sides.

Norrington had the side of his face pressed against Rose's. Her body was completely rigid, and she barely dared to take even the slightest of breaths, for fear that he would pull the trigger at the smallest movement.

"So tell me, Jack," Norrington said calmly. "What interest do _you_ of all people have in marriage?"

Jack shrugged casually. "Boredom. They say it's always good to try new things."

"Stop the game, Sparrow!" yelled Norrington. Jack mumbled "Captain," under his breath, which was thankfully not overheard by Rose's captor. He continued, "How is she involved in your schemes?"

Jack shook his head. "Never met 'er. Seems nice enough though." His face lit up. "But, hey! I'm happy for _you_! Glad to see you got over that uh…ooh. Whatshername…" He tapped a finger against his chin pensively, then dropped his shoulders. "No really. What _was_ her name?"

"Elizabeth. Swann," Norrington hissed.

"That's the one!" Jack cried happily. "Yeah that was just not meant to be, eh? But my most heartfelt congratulations for the two of you!" he said, motioning to Rose and Norrington. "You'll be perfect for each other!"

Norrington clicked the barrel of his gun, sending waves of panic through Rose's blood."That change your mind, Sparrow?" he said.

Jack let the facade fall, growing far more serious now. "Really, mate. I never met her. Seems innocent enough. Let her be."

Rose let out a yelp when Norrington took her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. He pressed the end of his gun into the skin of her chest right where her heart was pounding ever quicker. "Your turn," he said threateningly. He glanced over her head and motioned toward where her sibling stood. "How are the two of you associated?"

Rose tried to turn the charm on for one final performance. She smiled. "I don't know him at all! That's the idea of being sold off at a place like this." She took a deep breath before she tried her next maneuver, leaning closer toward him and whispering, "So that any _handsome_ stranger can whisk you away."

Just as she was about to lean completely in to him, he straightened his posture and looked over her head, pressing his gun into her chest, and therefore pushing her a safe distance away from him. "That'll be quite enough of _that,_ " he said nonchalantly.

He did look back down at her though, and when he did, he used his free hand to run his fingertips down the length of her cheek, catching red locks of hair as he moved. His hand travelled behind her neck and Rose suddenly felt a sharp pain in her scalp. Then her stomach dropped as she realized what he had discovered; a stray piece of her natural hair that had fallen from inside the wig.

"You know," he said, "Red really isn't your color." He yanked off the wig entirely and exposed her long dark hair. He tossed it aside and smiled his smug smile. "You're slightly less hideous without the wig."

Rose's stomach burned with fury. "I wonder if the same could be said for _you!"_ With her final word, Rose wrenched the pistol from Norrington's hands and pointed it directly at him. Norrington retaliated by drawing his sword.

She laughed. "What will a sword do over a pistol?"

Norrington gave a wry grin. "I don't think you want to be threatening me, Miss." She followed his certain gaze to where her brother stood behind her. In horror, she saw that all thirty or so officers had stepped inward towards Jack when she stole their commander's pistol, completely boxing him in.

"Maybe... _don't_ shoot Norrington," Jack nervously said.

In her distraction, Norrington had his blade pressed into her back. She ruefully held her hands up in surrender.

"I'll be taking _that_ back," said he, retrieving his pistol once more. "Now, since you've proven with your hasty and clumsy attempts at retaliation that you two are in fact associated, I suppose I have no choice but to declare execution for the _both_ of you."

He continued his lofty speech, but Rose had yet another plan that could distract the officers long enough for Jack to make a getaway. Feeling around her waist, she came upon the rope that had tethered her to the other brides. She swung the rope up and threw it over his neck, pulling it taught behind him and cutting off his speech.

Most of men's attention were drawn to their captured commander. Rose, upon seeing this, cried out, "Run, Jack!" Jack seized the opportunity, ducking beneath the bayonets and running for his life out of the square, dodging many bullets as he fled.

Rose grinned as she saw him flee, but did not anticipate Norrington freeing himself with his sword. Rose stumbled backwards with the sudden release of the rope's tension, but Norrington had caught the end of the rope which was still fastened around her waist, pulling her against him.

"Go! After him!" he shouted to his men, sending them rushing off in the direction Jack had fled. "Groves!" he called to one of his men.

"Aye sir?"

"Take _this_ ," he said, yanking Rose forward, "To the brig. She'll hang on the island where we first met."

Rose looked at him in alarm. He only laughed menacingly. "You really thought I didn't recognize you as that gutter rat I nearly ran over on Port Royal? Perhaps you _and_ Jack will hang together this time instead of being separated by my carriage."

But Rose had already outsmarted them both, having located the knot which fastened the rope around her waist and quickly untying it. All she needed was a swift elbow to Groves's face and she was free, racing off at full speed in the opposite direction as her brother.

She heard Norrington order behind her, "She's not our priority! Sparrow is! After him!" She smiled in satisfaction, though she worried for Jack. _Meet at the ship if we're separated,_ he had said. So Rose, despite her better judgement, obeyed and threw herself into the ocean, swimming frantically to reach the _Pearl_ before sundown when her vision would dissipate.


	35. Chapter 2 - Of Truths and Lies

As she approached the speck in the distance that was the _Black Pearl_ , Rose winced with every stroke she swam. The corset that Giselle and Scarlett had stuffed her into was constricting her breathing, and she began to fumble and flail beneath the waves. Timing was everything on this leg of the journey, and this corset was standing in the way. She took a large inhale of air and let her head fall beneath the waves, then, with what little sight she had, she managed to find the black laces that held the bodice of the red dress together down the center of her torso. Once she had loosened the tie, she grabbed one end with all her might until the criss-cross pattern of the laces had been undone. The bodice then came apart at the middle revealing the corset and the white chemise beneath it. At this point, Rose's already limited air supply had all but run out entirely, so without much thought, she grabbed a seam of the corset and tugged at it with all her might until it split apart. As soon as it did, she felt massive relief and swam to the surface to take a much needed intake of fresh air. She continued swimming for the _Pearl_ , leaving the corset bobbing on the water's surface now behind her.

After a time, she had managed to work her way quite close to the ship, but she knew that there was no time to delay. The _Black Pearl_ was renowned for being the fastest ship in Caribbean, and it was not going to stop its progress in rescuing their Captain just for her. A line was cast, and Rose stretched out her arm to grab a hold of it with her fingertips. As soon as she did, her resistance against the water became almost too much for the muscles in her arms to bear, so it became quite necessary that she begins inching herself closer and closer to the vessel. It was a time before she managed to get close to the ship itself, wherein she hoisted herself up to grab onto the netting that clung to the sides. Once she had, it took awhile for her to scurry up the _Pearl_ and collapse in a sopping wet mess onto the deck.

Anamaria was waiting for her on the other end of the rope, and offered an outstretched hand to help her stand. Although at first she had seemed jealous that she was no longer the only woman aboard the _Pearl,_ and perhaps a little vexed that Rose was not as active on the crew as she was, the two had developed a mutual respect for one another, and Rose was glad to see her.

Her first thought was on Jack. "Things went awry. We've got to find Jack—"

But the words had barely escaped her mouth before Anamaria nonchalantly pointed over her shoulder to where Jack stood, leaning casually against the mast as though nothing had surpassed. Rose's mouth fell agape as she walked over to her brother.

"…how…?"

"Improvisation, love!" he said with a grin. "Improvisation and a lot of running." He then cast a look over his shoulder. "And that goat."

Rose followed his gaze. Sure enough, just a few paces off stood a black and white goat casually munching on some rogue straw out of a nearby crate.

"…and… _why_ do we now have a goat?" Rose wondered aloud.

"I think the proper question is why _didn't_ we have a goat."

"Is the… _goat_ going to find us the key, Jack?"

He frowned. "Probably not. It'll give us milk, however."

Rose squinted her eyes. "Isn't that a _male_ goat?"

Jack fell silent for a time, realizing that Rose was quite correct in that observation. Finally, he announced, "Well, then he'll provide us company. Lord knows we need it. We're off for Tripoli."

With that and a flourish of his arm, Jack wandered away towards his cabin. Rose was bewildered. "Tripoli?"

She never would find out how Jack managed to outrun Norrington's men and get back to the _Pearl_ before her, nor how the goat would materialize onboard. But before she could question Jack further, someone intervened and blocked her progress.

"We're headed for Africa?" Ben McHenry asked, voice low with apprehension.

Rose's mind was cluttered with everything that had just recently surpassed, and was just as confused as the rest of the crew, so all she could manage was a small shrug. "Apparently," she stated, sidestepping her childhood friend and quickly darting into Jack's cabin after him.

"Jack, what happened on Tortuga? What were you able to uncover?"

"Shh!" Jack hissed, holding up a finger to silence her. His eyes were fixated on his right hand, which held his compass. He had bartered for this compass from Tia Dalma ten years ago. It pointed to whatever he wanted most in the world, Rose recently discovered. His eyes remained glued to the spinning arrow, then he moved his other hand towards the direction it ultimately stopped on and placed a finger a map laid out on his desk.

"Yep," he finally said. "Tripoli."

"What on earth is there for us in Tripoli?" Rose asked in exasperation. "Did someone in Tortuga tell you that?"

Jack grimaced. "Eh…more or less."

"Do explain."

"While you were putting on quite the show, I must say, in the town square, I paid a visit to an old friend of mine."

Rose was skeptical. "Friend?"

"Well…a colleague."

Rose was still unconvinced.

"Fine, I may have accidentally seduced his cousin and stolen most of his fortune."

"Jack!"

"All in good fun, I assure you! He's…mostly forgiven me now. Or at least that's what I assume."

"Assume?"

"Turns out, he's dead."

Rose sighed. "Are you telling me I went through all of _this,_ " she said, motioning to her now soggy and torn apart costume, "Was nearly killed by Commodore Norrington, and swam for my life all for nothing?"

Jack feigned offense. "Are you suggesting a marriage to a nobleman is _nothing_?" In response, Rose only pursed her lips in annoyance so he continued, "Well, I started asking questions, and it would appear that the bloke has a sister in Tripoli."

"And…the sister will have information on this key?"

Jack replied under his breath, "…it's possible."

Rose huffed. "Honestly? Every day that passes is one day closer to Jones's deadline!"

"I'm aware of that, thank you!"

"Are you?" Rose asked earnestly. "Because a trip to the Mediterranean takes weeks! What if we hit another dead end with this sister you speak of?"

"Worry not, love!" he replied, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "If his sister is anything like his cousin, I'm sure to get a response of _some_ sort." Rose rolled her eyes at the obvious innuendo and remained unconvinced.

Jack seeing this, further prodded merrily, "And worst comes to worst, we'll dress you up again and use you as a distraction, eh?"

"Absolutely not!" Rose was quick to answer, as the two of them shared laugh. Even in their merriment, however, Rose felt immense worry. The clock was ticking on Jack's ownership of the _Pearl._ If he could procure Davy Jones's chest, then perhaps this debt could be settled. However, only Rose had been informed of this secret Jack carried. The rest of his crew simply had to blindly trust the judgement of their captain as they sailed across the Atlantic, the Royal Navy in hot pursuit. If Jack continued with his antics, providing no payoff or explanation for his crew, Rose feared mutiny once again laid in store for Jack, and she was not about to lose the life that she had been promised over a decade ago.

Later that evening, Rose made her way by touch down to the sleeping quarters of the crew. It was already night, and Rose's vision was completely gone. Most of the men were just settling down for the evening, so their pungent odor and conversational sounds told her that she had made her way into the proper part of the vessel.

From the bottom of the stairs, Rose cried out, "Ben!" to alert her friend that she was waiting for him, and that at this point, he must come to her. After only a few moments, she felt him at her side. She reached out her hand towards him, and felt him take the bundle of herbs from her palm. Under Tia Dalma's guidance, Rose had become quite the accomplished medicinal expert. Whenever they made port, Rose tried to barter or find various leaves and roots that could replenish the stock she carried on her person at all times in case of sickness or injury.

"Try these," she said. "Crush them together into a poultice and swallow it with water.

"You really think they'll help?" Ben asked. His voice was hoarse and shaky, as though it was taking everything he had to formulate these words. This pained Rose greatly. Ever since Ben was freed by the curse of the Aztec gold of the Isla de Muerta, something had been awry. Many of the cursed mutineers had died from previously sustained injuries to their bodies while immortal, but those who lived suddenly had to deal with the repercussions of years of mistreatment. Something had happened to Ben's body in those days that he was paying for now, and Rose had been trying everything in her power for the past few months to heal him. Nothing worked. If this current combination she was doling out to him proved futile, Rose wasn't certain what else she could do. On top of physical ailments, Ben was haunted by severe trauma and stress, and had fits of rage that flared up every so often. It had been quite awhile without incident, and Rose was not about to incite any fury tonight by telling him the truth, which was that she truly didn't know if this time, her herbs would cure his sickness.

So, she bravely lied with a smile on her face. "I'm sure they will."

She heard him take a deep breath, but she couldn't see his expression. She couldn't stay too long in this moment, however, for a jarring voice pulled her attention away.

"Hexfury!" this voice called out. All other conversation between the men quieted to a lull. "Why do we sail for the Mediterranean?"

Rose recognized this voice. It belonged to Leech, a humorless crewman that they had picked up along with a few extra men about two weeks ago. Rose was unnerved by the question, unsure of how to reply. She finally settled on, "Master Gibbs is at the wheel right now, but I'm sure if you just wait to ask him-"

"Gibbs knows nothing more than we do," Leech blurted again. "And you live with the Captain. Why do we sail for Tripoli, Miss Hexfury?"

Murmurs of resentment began to grow in the voices of the other men, and panic rose up inside of her. Just as she expected, the men were starting to grow uneasy with Jack's unorthodox form of leadership.

Suddenly, Ben spoke up, "Gentlemen, Miss Hexfury knows nothing more than any of us. Leave her be."

"Actually," Rose said, knowing that this might be her only chance to make a positive impression on the crew, "I do know. We sail for Tripoli for boundless treasures. The Captain's thirst cannot be quenched by the Caribbean alone. Therefore, we must expand. Gentlemen, we sail for the Mediterranean to see what other secrets she keeps. If you'll remain patient, you're sure to see results."

She could hear some utterances of satisfaction at her lofty promises, but Leech remained skeptical. "And what of the Royal Navy? They are leagues away from us as we speak!"

"If we remain vigilant, there's no chance the _Dauntless_ can outrun us," Rose insisted. "So let's give the days ahead our best, shall we gents?"

She left it at that, turning to make her way back up the stairs. She could feel someone following behind her. Once they had together fully made their way to the main deck, she heard Ben murmur, "That was all a ruse, wasn't it?"

Rose took a deep breath. "Aye," she whispered. "But what else could I say?"

"So you really don't know why we sail for Tripoli?"

 _No,_ she thought. _I do know, but it's not my place to share the dangers we face with anyone, not even you._ But still, once again she lied as she said, "Truly, I do not."

"Unbelievable," Ben growled. "Nothing at all has changed with Jack." Earnestly, he then asked her, "Do you reckon you could try to get some information from him? As his sister and all?"

Rose's stomach churned. "I can try," she said. "Only insofar as you eat those herbs."

He could feel him give a soft smile, and her heart leapt as he placed a hand on her forearm to lead her back to Jack's cabin. "I promise."


	36. Chapter 3 - Hexed Fury

The _Black Pearl_ and all souls aboard had been adrift a few days on their journey towards the next leg of Jack's mission to find Davy Jones's chest. One one of these relatively calm nights, Rose sat placidly by candlelight, fiddling with The Redhead costume. If there was one thing she took away from Tia Dalma's lifestyle, it was that every little thing could be of some use. So Rose, although leaving behind the corset, shoes, wig and hat on Tortuga, retained the majority of the dress. She had torn out the ruffled and uncomfortable petticoats from beneath the skirt, and shortened it so that she could more easily move in combat. The bodice was rendered all but useless to her without the corset, which, although making her form more compact, rendered her nearly immobile. So, Rose resorted to using the white chemise beneath as a blouse, and was currently in the process of readjusting the former bodice into a vest. She would leave the two center pieces untied and loose at her side, and would shorten the sleeves a good deal. The task was meaningless, but she was all but useless at night given her eyesight, and it got her mind off the worry she still held for Jack's situation.

It wasn't long before Jack himself entered his cabin. He took a look at Rose and grumbled, "Your husband is still in pursuit."

Rose growled, "He's _not_ my husband and you know it! Stop saying that!"

Jack only grinned in amusement. "The man's relentless, I'll give him that." He then stopped, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully. "Oh… 'Dauntless.' I get it now."

Rose put down her handiwork and looked at her brother in earnest. "Indeed. And what happens when we reach Tripoli and they inevitably catch us?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. Clearly, he had not thought this through. After a moment, he opened his mouth to give a reply. Rose interrupted him before he could do so, however, "Don't you _dare_ say 'improvisation!'"

He deflated slightly, then came back with, "I was _going_ to say before you chimed in with your sass, madam, that I need only go ashore this time. Keep the _Pearl_ in motion, and come back for me the next morning. Easy as that."

Rose considered this a reasonable plan, and was about to respond when a frantic knock at the door came. The siblings exchanged a glance, and silently, Rose motioned that she would answer it. She opened the door to Ben, who was hunched over and breathing heavily.

"It's not working," he said in between breaths. He then gagged and rushed into the black of night where Rose's blindness couldn't find him. She was quick on his heels, however, following him by sound and finding him leaning over the port rail, attempting to wretch into the ocean.

She calmly stood next to him as he gagged, placing a calm hand on his back. She stood there for awhile, using only her senses of sound and touch to delineate what was happening.

Finally, after the heaving had subsided, she commented, "I don't understand. You didn't actually throw anything up. Your body is just gagging."

"That's because there isn't anything to throw up!" Ben muttered darkly. He stood quickly, causing Rose's hand to draw back. "I can't eat because I vomit. I can't sleep because I can't eat. How many of those blasted plants have you given me?"

She took a deep breath. "We've tried all of my herbs, Ben. All of the ones that are supposed to help anyways."

"And some help they've been!" he scoffed. "I can't sleep, I can't eat…It's like I'm back in the curse, only the effects are amplified!"

Rose reached out her hand to comfort him again. "I won't stop searching until we find the cure, Ben. I promise."

He knocked her hand away from him. "How long will that be? Your only priority is helping your brother and taking part in his harebrained schemes! Just forget it!"

Rose knew he was right. Ever since she and Ben had joined the crew once more, Rose had remained at her brother's side for most of the time. She wasn't sure if her reasons for this had to do with the task of outrunning Jones, or if she had been purposefully avoiding Ben after he had nearly attacked her a few months ago on Port Royal as they waited for Jack. Rose had almost always held affections in her heart for Ben, but she had truly been hurt by his bout of anger and found herself distrustful of him from that day onwards.

Under his breath, she heard him mutter, "I knew it was a mistake to stay aboard…"

"Ben!" Rose protested. She was peeved by his actions, but was completely devastated by his words. "You know how much I care about you! Why do you doubt me?"

She heard him sigh deeply, then softly recount his harshness towards her. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know how much…how much you care. I just was so certain that after the curse was broken that everything would return as it was."

She dared place her hand on Ben's arm once more. "I know how hard this must be," she said softly. "But I am here for you!"

She felt him stand and face her. She held her breath, unsure of what to anticipate. She nearly jumped when she suddenly felt him lean into her and kiss her. Joy welled up inside her, but quickly transformed into immense confusion as she felt him begin to kiss her harder. He pushed against her, forcing her to walk backwards until he had her pressed up against the stairs leading up to the helm. Violently he kissed her, barely allowing her time to breathe. Then, as quickly as he had begun, he stopped. He pulled away, and after a moment of tense silence, he brooded, "Nothing. I feel _nothing!_ "

"Ben?" Rose asked, catching her breath, but from the sounds of rushed creaks along the ship's floorboards, she could tell that he was already gone. She was left alone, blind to the night, wondering what on earth had just transpired.

"Rose?" she heard a voice say next to her.

She gulped and began to hastily straighten her hair. "How long have you been watching?" she asked Jack, who had followed the two after they left his quarters and had been watching the whole drama unfold.

"I've been watching this go on for over ten years now," he said. "I'm at about my wit's end with it." He walked to her, taking her by the hand and leading her back inside to the light.

With her eyesight restored, she stared only at the ground, dwelling in the bittersweet emotions that were inside her.

Jack still stood at her side, staring intently at her. Finally he said, "You do see how he's using you, don't you?"

She shook her head. "He's not well. This isn't his fault."

"Perhaps," her brother replied, "But recall that he used you even before the curse took hold. He used you to get aboard, he used you to get status…"

"He was young then!" Rose protested.

"What other excuses will you make for him? 'He was young,' 'he was cursed,' 'he's not himself…' Rose, if you honestly think he loves you, then you're blind in more than one regard."

Rose hadn't heard her brother be this sincere since…she could barely remember when, it was so long ago. Even though a part of her heard the truth of his words, a larger part of her seethed in anger. "I'm doing the best I can!" she yelled. "I'm trying so hard to help you and the crew and restore Ben into the man I once knew him as! All I want is my friend back!"

Jack began to step away from her, shaking his head. "That's not all you want. I don't think you can fix this, Rose." He then turned and went back to his study, leaving her standing there in her confusion. After awhile, she resorted to going to bed, but she found no solace and could not sleep.

Rose poured over what had just happened. She was so torn between fury and pity directed at Ben. In her heart though, she was still convinced that she could fix what had been broken. She would work for the rest of her life, if need be, to bring Ben back.

After about an hour of these restless thoughts, she heard Gibbs burst into the room.

"Cap'n! Apologies for intruding!"

Rose sat up in alarm. "What's the matter?" she and Jack said nearly in unison.

"We appear to be running afoul of a hurricane, sir."


	37. Chapter 4 - Uncharted Waters

"Bugger," Jack muttered, eyes fixed to a large map he had spread over his cluttered desk. "Well this is unexpected, isn't it?"

"Tis out of season, sir," Gibbs concurred. "But it's a hurricane by my eyes, and there's no mistakin' it."

"So am I understanding correctly?" asked Rose. "We can't proceed forward, lest we die in the eye of a hurricane, and we can't turn backward, lest we die at the hands of the Royal Navy. So…where does that leave us?"

Jack gave an uncomfortable sneer. "Pretty dead, it would appear."

"What if we steer clear of Tripoli altogether?" Gibbs said, pointing to the map south of where Jack had placed a cork off a rum bottle to symbolize the rapidly approaching hurricane. "We explore the West coast of Africa, keep the Commodore on the run, wait a week or more until the storm has fully dissipated before we continue on to Tripoli?"

Jack and Rose exchanged a worried glance. They both knew that Jack didn't have a week of more to spare. They needed Jones's chest, and they couldn't get to that without the key. Jack had to be in Tripoli at once.

"Don't think that'll work, mate," Jack finally said. "There's got to be a way around it surely."

"Beggin' yer pardon, sir," Gibbs hesitantly interjected. "But what on God's green Earth is so important in Tripoli that we have to be there in such haste?"

Rose knew no one but her knew of the dangers Jack faced, so she chimed in with a lie. "Herbs," she said. "There's a…very specific kind of herb I need and I can only get it Tripoli."

Gibbs appeared unconvinced. "And this…herb, you say, is important enough to brave a hurricane?"

Rose's mind raced to find an explanation to satisfy him. "Scurvy," she finally came up with.

"Scurvy?"

"Aye. Unless you want all of the teeth to fall from your skulls, it is vitally important that we get to Tripoli at once."

Gibbs pursed his lips. "We've never had a problem with scurvy before…"

Rose feigned outrage. "Are you implying that I don't know of what I speak?" In truth, Rose knew barely anything about scurvy, so in fact, she _didn't_ know of what she spoke. "Fine, take your chances if you wish, but I for one will be going to Tripoli and will therein keep all of my teeth, thank you."

"Oi," Jack piped up. "Shut it, both of you. Come over here."

Both Gibbs and Rose obeyed, peering over his shoulders at the chart. Jack moved his finger from a spot where the _Pearl_ currently was floating and motioned above and around the cork. "How's about we head North, savvy?"

Gibbs made a low, guttural noise. "That's heavy East India Trading Company territory. We'd land right in the middle of it."

"Wouldn't _that_ make Norrington's job easier, eh?" Rose snorted. Suddenly, she noticed a faint series of lines on the map she hadn't seen before. "Hold on…" she said, pointing to where they were drawn just south of the cork. "What about South? What do these lines mean?"

Jack and Gibbs exchanged an impressed glance. "That, my dear," Jack said, "Would be a current."

"Wouldn't that mean we'd get to Tripoli faster?"

"Aye," said Gibbs. "However, see these?" He pointed to a series of seemingly random specks lining the area around which the lines indicating the current were drawn. "Rocks. Dangerous waters for a ship as big as this."

Jack considered this for a moment. "If we move South, we avoid Company-littered waters, steer clear of the hurricane, could potentially get to our destination faster. However, we could hit a rock and all drown." He paused once again to think this through, then finally announced in a chipper fashion, "Splendid! I say we do it!"

"It means we need men on deck at all times," Gibbs reasoned. "We need to keep an open eye for these rocks, and because of the storm, we're sure to hit rough waters."

"Aye," Jack agreed. He turned his attention to Rose. "That means you're staying indoors, savvy? I don't want a repeat scenario from over a decade ago, eh?"

Rose smiled, remembering how as a young girl onboard the _Pearl,_ she had tried proving her worth to Jack's crew by trying to help them with tasks in the middle of a storm, but instead had been pulled out to open sea. She nodded. "I won't argue with that!"

"Very good," Jack grinned. "Gibbs, make ready to steer Southish, then Eastish."

As Gibbs left, concern written all over his face at the large endeavor ahead of them, Rose couldn't help but feel a little bit of satisfaction at knowing Ben would have to be hard at work during the storm in his sickened condition. After what had just surpassed minutes ago, she felt no remorse whatsoever for him. _Serves him right,_ she thought. Perhaps this was childish, but for the moment, she cared not.

"Shame we can't also lose the _Dauntless_ in this storm," she then said to Jack with disappointment. "I suppose they'll simply follow our lead."

Jack nodded, grabbing his coat to follow Gibbs out to the deck to explain their new heading to the crew. "Eh, can't win 'em all. We sail on, make our way to Tripoli according to plan." Just as he rounded the corridor to leave the room, Rose heard him cry out, "This hurricane might be the best thing that ever happened to us!"

That, as they would come to find out, was a bit of an overstatement. While the hurricane _did_ force the _Pearl_ to redirect on a route that would actually get them to their destination quicker, the storm caused massive rains and rough waters that needed to be minded all times by all able-bodied men on deck. Rose, despite her immense wanting, was not able-bodied due to her night blindness, and so she waited out the treacherous journey alone in Jack's quarters. They endured three full days of this arduous trek, and finally when they escaped its wrath did the men have a chance to regroup and recover from the experience.

It was day. The first sunlight the _Pearl_ had seen in days. Rose awoke to find Jack nearly comatose with exhaustion, clothes still damp from the rain, fast asleep in his chair. She didn't disturb him, and instead changed into her new attire made from the remnants of "The Redhead" facade and going out on deck to help.

Only a few haggard men were awake enough to begins repairs to the ship. Some were retying the sails, some were hammering deck planks back into place. Rose first looked back at the many miles of ocean that they had just traversed, and breathed an immense sigh of release. The _Dauntless_ was nowhere to be found, but their looming threat still remained. Unless the Commodore had been foolish enough to try following them through the storm, the Royal Navy most likely had gone the long way around the hurricane and could possibly be not far behind them once they reached Tripoli.

Rose tried to assuage her worries and began at once picking up loose pieces of broken wood, rope, or sea debris that had been washed on deck and tossing them overboard. Once she had cleared the deck the best that she could, she had a chance to look over the forecastle deck and found a weathered but unscathed Anamaria standing at the wheel, wearing Jack's hat. Rose ascended to the deck and leaned on a nearby railing.

"You look absolutely exhausted," Anamaria said with a sarcastic grin.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. Don't think I relished being cooped up in a single room for three days."

She snorted in response. "Be grateful. It was hell out here."

"Any reason why you're wearing my brother's hat?" Rose asked with a wry grin. "You're not planning a mutiny anytime soon, I hope."

"Oh no," Anamaria remarked, taking it off and tossing it to Rose. "Lord knows I don't want to keep that filthy thing. It must have blown off in the storm. I found it once things had subsided, but he had already gone to rest. I was busy at the wheel, and I forgot about it until now."

"I'm sure he'll be missing it. Thank you," Rose replied. Just then, a figure plopped down onto the railing at her side, causing her to start.

No matter how long he'd been there, _however_ long he'd been there…no one really knew when or how… Barbossa's monkey, Jack, who had later been revealed to still have the Aztec curse upon him, would never cease to startle Rose with his sudden appearances.

Rose grinned and patted the mischievous little creature on the head. Then, an idea occurred to her. "Jack, smell," she ordered, holding out the hat beneath his nose so that he could get Jack's scent and the leather of the hat. "Now fetch it!" she cried, tossing the hat across the deck and watching the monkey skitter off to grab it.

Anamaria snorted. "You know that thing is going to yank that hat right off Jack's head one day and send him off in a rage."

Rose grinned. "That's exactly my intent!"

They laughed at the prank until silence descended upon the two women. They stayed that way for awhile until Anamaria shifted. "Here," she said, moving her body to the left but maintaining her grip on the wheel. "Take it."

Rose gawked. "You want _me_ to take the wheel?"

"You just gonna stand there, or will you actually prove your worth, Miss 'Cooped Up For Three Days?'" Anamaria jabbed playfully.

"I…I've never steered a ship before. Not even a dinghy, I'm afraid."

Anamaria was insistent. "No better time to learn!"

Hesitantly, Rose positioned her hands on the pegs Anamaria had been holding just as she let them go. Rose's entire body jolted leftward once the full force of the wheel was shifted from Anamaria's arms to her own, and the ship began to tilt dramatically.

"Careful now," warned Anamaria, who helped Rose regain her balance. "I had us turning starboard. We've passed the rough bits and now are heading Eastward."

"…Directly towards the sunrise," Rose finished, now steady. Her respect for Anamaria grew with every passing moment, as steering a vessel like the _Pearl_ was no small feat.

Anamaria continued to coach Rose through the basics of navigation, and she was eager to soak up any new information. For the better part of an hour, Rose had succeeded in keeping the ship headed directly towards their destination, making easy conversation in the meantime. Something Anamaria said was quick to alarm Rose, however.

"It's best that you learn this now," she had said. "Jack will need someone to cover for me once I'm gone."

"Gone?" Rose asked. "Where are you going?"

Anamaria turned to her. "Jack stole my ship long ago. He promised me the _Interceptor_ in exchange for helping him regain the _Pearl._ Seeing as how Barbossa ensured that the _Interceptor_ became nothing more than a fiery pile of wood, I am still owed my own ship. I can't get that here. So? I will dock at Tripoli, pick up a ship and a crew, and go about my life."

"You're leaving us, _now_?" Rose gaped.

"Aye. If not now, never."

Rose scowled. "And you're leaving me the _only_ woman onboard? How dare you!"

Anamaria smiled, then contributed a statement that made Rose grow unsettled: "You should go as well."

"What, aboard your ship?"

"No," Anamaria replied. "Anywhere. Anywhere but here."

Rose shook her head. "No, this is my _dream_. I always wanted to sail the seas with Jack and go on adventures to far off places. I'm here now doing just that."

Anamaria raised an eyebrow. "'Adventures.' More like 'errands.' Make your own adventures. What do you need Jack for? He certainly doesn't need you."

"I beg your pardon?" Rose asked, growing defensive.

"I mean to say, he's clearly found his way without _you._ What are you without Jack?"

Rose shifted uncomfortably, readjusting her grip on the wheel. "You wouldn't understand. He's not family to you. And besides, I couldn't just leave Ben here."

Anamaria groaned. "And don't you even let me comment on _that_ matter…"

"I won't!" Rose quipped. "I don't want yet another lecture. I've gotten enough from Jack already."

Anamaria resentfully resigned herself from the matter, saying only, "Well regardless, Jack and I are going aboard. I want you with us. See at least some of the world you're missing by being on this boat, and _then_ evaluate if this is all worth it."

"Jack ordered me to stay aboard, and you just taught me to steer," Rose protested. "Don't you want me on the wheel to ensure a quick escape if need be?"

"Cotton does just fine on the wheel, and I can persuade Jack to change his mind, I'm sure," Anamaria grinned. She then turned and began to descend the stairs to the main deck. "Are you coming?" she called back over her shoulder to Rose.

"Where?" she said in confusion, her hands still steady on the wheel.

"To Tripoli, you fool!" Anamaria replied. "We've arrived."

Rose looked ahead, and sure enough saw the faint outline of a metropolitan area nestled in between the shore and a mountainside. They had made it to Tripoli.

"Would you care to do the honors?" Anamaria asked.

Rose nodded with a smile. "Land, ho!" she cried.


	38. Chapter 5 - Tripoli

The good news about having Anamaria on your side was that there was no chance you were going to lose any fight with her support. So Jack barely even put up a fight when Anamaria insisted that Rose accompany them to Tripoli. They manned a longboat and began to descend into the ocean below when suddenly they were all startled by another figure having leapt into their boat from above.

 _Ben._

"What in the bloody hell?" Jack exclaimed.

"Apologies, sir," Ben breathlessly replied. "But I think I could be of use on this mission."

Jack groaned. "This was supposed to have my trip alone, savvy? I let these two come along, and am not interested in a fourth member. So shoo!"

"Aye," Anamaria chimed in. "What _use_ could you possibly be?"

"I know this land," Ben explained. "I came here many times under Barbossa's command. Tripoli held many fortunes for us. I know it well."

Anamaria and Jack exchanged a glance, and through pursed lips, Jack finally said, "Alright. Come along then, as long as you keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. And _you_ get to row."

The silence was thick between the four of them as Ben started to row the boat towards Tripoli. Rose took an oar from him and helped row out of pity, though Jack would have preferred to give Ben all of the work. Finally, the awkward atmosphere became too much for Ben, and he quietly said to Rose, "Do you reckon…"

At even the slightest utterance, Jack and Anamaria snapped their gazes, and their eyes bored into Ben's skull. Rose couldn't help but feel amused at their active disdain towards Ben based on his rude behavior towards her, but she made an effort to remain fixated on him. His voice trailed off at their hostile and defensive gazes, and he lowered his voice further. "Do you reckon we could try again with the herbs?"

Rose cast her eyes downwards, disappointed that this was the only matter on his mind. He continued, "That's why Gibbs said we skirted that hurricane after all…for medicine for the crew."

Rose saw Jack and Anamaria exchange another glance. Anamaria silently mouthed the word, "Herbs?" and Jack responded with a quick shake of his head to inform her that this was but a ruse to explain their going ashore.

Ben spoke on. "But I know you meant herbs for me. I thought I could be of service."

To this, Anamaria snorted, "Of service to _her_? That'd be a first."

Ben grimaced. "I helped Rose quite a bit on Port Royal as we searched for Jack, I'll have you know."

"Rumor has it you also helped out the problem of Port Royal's alcohol surplus, so thank goodness you were there," Jack retorted.

Ben sent a swift glare to Rose, who guilty averted her gaze. She knew she shouldn't have told Jack about Ben's inhibitions and cruel behavior at Port Royal. Despite this, however, she still was tickled at Anamaria and Jack leaping to her defense.

Ben leaned towards her and lowered his voice even more. "All I'm saying is, whatever you need, I'm here to help."

This boat was small, however, and the other occupants of the boat also heard Ben's comment. Jack sent a wide-eyed look of alarm at Anamaria, and she, picking up his cue, instantly said, "Ben? Why don't you come with me once we dock? I've got a mission of my own and I could use you. Jack and Rose have it covered."

Ben sat up straighter and tensed his jaw. His rowing got steadily more forceful, and it was clear he knew that the siblings were not letting him in on a secret. Worse yet, it was now apparent that they weren't here for herbs after all, which meant that the fruits of his arduous labor during the hurricane would reap him no personal benefits.

"I see," he finally said after a tense moment of silence. "Very well, Anamaria," he spat. "I shall join you, if our _Captain_ doesn't object."

Without missing a beat, Jack replied, "Not even one bit."

As Anamaria grew more amused and Ben more enraged, Rose couldn't help but feel a profound sense of dread overtake her; This was not over. Ben would soon confront her about all of this, and it had the potential to be their ugliest row yet.

Before long, the small crew arrived at one of a seemingly endless number of docks. Ben and Rose were careful to navigate amongst the copious amounts of towering ships that surrounded them, whose crews were moving many crates of livestock and other goods. Rose had never seen so many colors in all her life, and was instantly enamored by the unfamiliarity of this place. She had never seen clothing or buildings like this before, and her ears danced among the many passing languages she couldn't understand.

They eventually found a place to tie the boat to, and Jack warned her to commit its location to memory in case she had to make a quick run back to the _Pearl_ without him. That thought terrified her, but still she complied as to be better safe than sorry if that time ever came.

"I suppose this is it," Anamaria then announced.

Rose winced, deeply saddened at the thought of perhaps never seeing her friend again. She pulled her in for a quick embrace. "Thank you for everything," she said.

Anamaria gave her an earnest look. "I meant what I said; See the world and all its dangers. There's more for you out there than you know." She then turned to Jack. "Don't think this means you're off the hook, Sparrow," she teased. "You still owe me a ship for my armada."

"Armada?! Bloody hell… Dreaming terribly big, aren't we?"

She grinned. "I know what I want, unlike _some_."

Rose clearly knew that this was another playful jab between the old friends, but Jack seemed bothered by her comment and did not return her smile. Rose made a mental note to ask him about this at a later time.

"Well," he said, shaking off the awkward exchange, "I suppose I'll see you again the next time I'm in trouble, then?"

"Most assuredly," Anamaria smiled. "Farewell, Jack."

She then turned from them and began to walk the length of the shoreline dock in search of a decent vessel to commandeer. "Come, Ben," she called over her shoulder. Wordlessly, he turned with a glare and a sigh and marched resentfully behind her.

Together, Rose and Jack watched them until they had walked out of sight. "Well," Jack said. "Maybe I should have kept him around for this leg of the journey after all. His attitude makes even this sweltering heat bone-chillingly cold." Rose rolled her eyes and gave a reluctant nod in agreement. "Come along then," he announced, pulling out his compass. "It's time to find Sah Muhsine."

* * *

"Now when we enter her stateroom, it is important that you stay silent," Jack was explaining as they walked along the many winding streets of Tripoli. "Just follow my lead. We don't know what Sah Muhsine knows about the key or the chest. And just as in Tortuga, when I say run, you run, savvy?" When Rose stayed silent, he turned his gaze from his compass's arrow to her. "Oi!"

"Sorry!" she apologized, stirring from her daze.

Jack pursed his lips. "You look like a child watching a street performer for the first time."

"This whole place is like that for me! I've never been anywhere like this before!" It was true; Rose was in awe of the sights, smells, and sounds of this place. Although a bit on edge because of its newness, Rose was equally thrilled with taking it all in. She halfway wished that she and Jack weren't on such an important mission with such an incredibly tight time frame, for she would have loved to spend days exploring this vast city.

"It's so amazing," she continued, "I would see so many sorts of people enter and leave the tavern, day in and day out on Tortuga. I thought I had seen it all…but to see where some of these people actually come from! It makes our Caribbean seem so small."

Jack nodded. "Aye, love. There's a large ocean out there, and plenty of pirates to fill 'er. _Too_ many, at times. However, try to reign it in a bit, this is important."

"Aye, sorry," she quickly apologized, now focused on Jack's instructions.

"When we enter, let me do the talking. I'll only toss you into the fray if necessary. These people are not to be trifled with, so—"

"Is that why you trifled with their cousin?"

Jack rolled his eyes and gave a sidelong glance at her. "Darling, I know I may seem perfect most of the time, but even I have my lapses in judgement."

Rose chuckled as they continued on their way. Soon, the marketplace devolved into winding side streets, until ultimately the siblings found themselves in dark, narrow alleyways.

"Jack, are you absolutely _certain_ that this is the way?" she finally asked.

"The compass never lies, my dear sister, and I want that ruddy key."

Finally, one alley opened up to a large courtyard with ornate drapery and tile walls adorning a pristine looking fortress of a building. Outside stood two armed guards, who drew their swords upon seeing Jack and Rose enter.

"Whoa, whoa!" Jack said, throwing up his hands in surrender. Rose quickly followed suit. "I come to meet with Sah Muhsine, eh? Tell her Captain Sparrow wishes to see her."

The guards looked at each other in confusion. "Who?" one replied.

Jack pinched up his face. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

The guards only blinked in response, faces blank.

"Captain of the infamous _Black Pearl?_ "

Still no response.

Jack finally sighed in resignation. In monotone, he said, "Pickles?"

At this, the guards cried, "Oh!" in recognition, then burst into laughter. When they finally got ahold of themselves, one stayed guarding them while the other walked into the building to ask Sah Muhsine, presumably, for her permission for their entry.

"Pickles?" Rose asked through gritted teeth, her hands still frozen in surrender.

"An incident with a barrel of pickles that I'm not proud of. Remind me to tell you later," he muttered in response.

Just then, the other guard returned, and with a wave of his hand and another chuckle under his breath of, "Pickles…" Rose and Jack were escorted into the stateroom of Sah Muhsine. The interior was even more ornate than the exterior, and large embroidered pillows, and finely dyed, hand woven cloth took up the majority of the space.

In the middle of this area sat the woman in question, dressed entirely in purple and seated on an equally ornate chair flanked by two more guards on either side of her. She held the air of royalty and had the expression of a woman who could outwit a thousand men ten times stronger than she. Rose was instantly intimidated by her piercing eyes, and was grateful Jack seemed unfazed by this entire scene.

Jack fell into a gallant bow, and Rose followed suit. He cried, "'Allo, your royal Pasta."

Rose looked over at him in horror. _Pasta?!_

" _Pasha!_ " Sah Muhsine hissed in response. "And that is _not_ my title. I am mother to our Pasha and am standing in for him until he returns from voyage."

"Apologies, madam," Rose instantly replied. "We're foreigners and know not of your customs."

"Speak for yourself," the woman sneered. "This man," she said, pointing at Jack, "Knows our customs all too well." When Jack only smiled uncomfortably in response, she said simply, "You seduced my cousin."

"…a little bit," Jack deflected.

"She was due to be married to a man who would have brought our family much repute. Then she spends a night with _you_ and none of us have seen her since!"

"…apparently _my_ repute was better."

"Jack!" Rose growled.

"What is your purpose here, Sparrow?" Sah Muhsine demanded.  
Jack straightened up, ready to state his case. "Well, I first went to see your brother in Tortuga, but found him well…rather indisposed."

"Dead," the noblewoman corrected him. "Yes, I am aware. What further business had you with him?"

Jack shrugged, walking closer towards her. As though the guards were not a problem at all, he made his way toward the guard on her left side and casually leaned his full weight on the guard's shoulder. "No business, really. Just wanted to catch up with old friends."

Sah Muhsine raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I know you, Sparrow. It's _always_ business, and rare is it that you have friends. Certainly not Hadim."

Jack feigned hurt. "Not Hadim? After all we went through?"

Sah Muhsine now rose to her feet in rage. "You nearly singlehandedly destroyed the Barbary pirates' accord with the Ottoman Empire, which Hadim and I had to repair singlehandedly. I'm _still_ working to undo the damage you have done! So I state again, what is your purpose here? Or should I just send you to the Turkish prisons now?"

Rose's eyes grew wide as she saw Jack quickly recoil off the left guard's shoulder and put his hands up in a calm surrender once more. "I merely seek the key Hadim knew so much about."

At this, Sah Muhsine raised her eyebrow again. "Ah, another treasure hunt. Of course that is your purpose here." She turned away, waving a dismissive hand up at him. Her guards then began to move towards Rose and Jack to escort them out.

"Wait!" Rose cried out instinctively. "This is far more important than just a treasure hunt! Lives are at stake!"

Sah Muhsine then looked at her, her eyes pouring into Rose's. Rose then caught Jack's expression, which read as, _What did I say about saying nothing, you fool?_

"Lives? Explain." Sah Muhsine said with interest.

"Certainly," Jack began. In but a moment of reflection, Jack quickly wove a tapestry of lies that even Rose was astonished that he was able to formulate in such haste. "This is my dear cousin…Roselyn."

"Cousin?"

"Aye, and much like your cousin who I so egregiously robbed of her dignity and reputation," Jack elocuted, putting an arm around her shoulders, "My cousin has too been robbed by a horrible man."

Sah Muhsine looked at Rose "Is that so?"

"Aye," Rose replied, putting on a saddened demeanor.

"Truth is," Jack said, once again approaching the throne and taking a seat on one of its arms by Sah Muhsine's side, "Once I found out about her woes, I drew parallels to the wrongs I did to you and Hadim and good ole…whasshername."

"Dilara." Sah Muhsine growled.

"That's it! Dilara! I got to thinking, 'How can I help my dear, sweet cousin Roselyn?' And in drawing comparisons betwixt you lot, it occurred to me to inquire about the treasures of that chest Hadim knew so well. I merely want the treasures from this chest to free Roselyn."

Sah Muhsine was now enraptured with Jack's story. "Free her from what?"

"A brutish man," Jack replied, looking down at her. "This man is a cold-hearted and vain. She had no choice but to marry him."  
"Was she promised to him?"

"Not even that! She was…" Jack leaned close to her ear and said in a loud whisper, "Sold in a Bride Auction!"

Sah Muhsine gasped, and Rose only sighed and rolled her eyes. It was clear that Jack was never going to let her live this down.

"It's true," Jack lamented, standing and walking to Rose's side once more. "She was destitute, but still wanted to make an honest woman of herself. But no man could afford her price, and she wasn't willing to settle for anything less than quality. However, this meant that the only bloke who could afford her was a rotten beast from the depths of hell itself who wears the worst wigs you've ever laid eyes on."

Rose tried to continue with the sad act, but couldn't mask her annoyance at Jack's story. "And what's worse, Sah, is that this bloke despises our kind. He'd end us _all_ if it were up to him, and he vowed to start with his wife. The inhumanity!"

Sah Muhsine laid a hand over her mouth. Jack's story was actually working!

"So," he finished, "I come here to implore you, your royalness, to forgive me for my prior sins against you and your kin, and let me help mine. Whatever treasures this chest may hold, let me use at least _some_ of it to free my sister."

Sah Mushine furrowed her brow. "Sister?"

"Uh-cousin. Slip of the tongue."

The woman thankfully waved off this slip up and sat straighter. "Hadim spoke of this chest often, though I knew not of what treasures it holds. It was intended for Pirate Lord Captain Ammand's use, and Hadim planted information about the key with a criminal named Eddad not far from here in the Turkish prisons. I am not certain if Ammand ever arrived to claim this information, or if Eddad has survived this long. I personally hold no interest in this chest, nor its contents."

Rose and Jack exchanged a silent, hopeful look. This was actually working!

"However," Sah Muhsine said with a glower. "You still remain the pickled scourge of my city, Jack Sparrow, and for that I hereby arrest you and am sending you to the Turkish Prisons. Guards!"

"No!" Rose cried, but to no avail. The armed guards drew their weapons and grabbed hold of both of Jack's arms.

"And!" Sah Muhsine cried out over the commotion, "It would be a shame if you were to meet Eddad while there and then make your escape with the information you seek." She then winked and gave a small smile to Rose. "Take him away," she then ordered.

As Jack was dragged past her with a gleeful smile on his face, he squeaked out, "Save me."

Rose nodded in corroboration, then curtseyed to Sah Muhsine. "I cannot thank you enough, your highness!"

"Go," she replied simply, still retaining her warm smile amidst her powerful aura.

Rose obeyed, and raced back to the docks. It was time to sail to Turkey.


	39. Chapter 6 - Getting Away From It All

Rose maneuvered through the busy streets of Tripoli towards docks as fast as her legs would carry her. She dodged overloaded carts, dove beneath cloth canopies, and nearly careened into several merchants and their wares, but ultimately made it unscathed back to the docks, right back to where her boat…should have been tied up.

Rose looked around in alarm. There was only one boat here, and it was being loaded by two locals. Rose took another look around as some of the other nearby docks, but clearly recalled tying off the boat to this particular dock. All of a sudden she realized who primarily operated this port—pirates. These men were stealing her boat.

Instantly, Rose's hand quivered over her cutlass. There was only one thing to do; Defend what was hers. With Jack's random fighting maneuvers racing through her mind, she marched straight for the men. They both looked up at her as she approached, sword drawn, then turned to each other and laughed. They then proceeded to taunt her in a language she couldn't understand.

"Step away from the boat, gentlemen," Rose ordered, although she knew that her language was probably lost on them.

The men _did_ step away from the boat. However, this meant them drawing swords of their own and coming straight for her on the dock.

"Alright, if that's the way it's going to be…" Rose whispered. She made the first swipe, then quickly dodged both of their swords as they came slicing down towards her. She wasn't so much good at fighting as she was dodging, and she made it look like an art. Whereas the men's moves were largely offensive, hers were defensive. At one point, she blocked both blades with hers, and was able to duck down and kick one man in the shin. A dirty move, but at this moment, Rose cared not for honest fight etiquette; She had her brother to rescue…again. This kick allowed her to push the man into the seawater below them, then turn and swipe at the other man until he lost his balance off the dock on the opposite side. Rose then leapt into the boat and made off with the loot they had already managed to pack aboard.

By this point, the first man she had shoved off the deck had regained his bearings, had swum straight to the boat and was now attempting to topple the boat over with Rose inside of it. She grabbed an oar and knocked him upside the head, then rowed harder then she had ever rowed in her life. Finally, she realized that the cargo was slowing her escape, then stopped rowing to toss it overboard without a second thought. Even this temporary pause, however, allowed enough time for these men and a few colleagues of theirs to commandeer more boats and dinghies and make their way quickly towards her. These fellows no longer cared about her tiny boat, nor regaining the cargo that Rose had thrown to the depths. These men were now out for revenge on _her,_ and their boats had the power of several people, not just one, and so Rose was quickly losing the distance she had managed to make at the start of her getaway. To make matters worse, the _Pearl_ was nowhere in sight, so she was rowing blindly without much of a destination into open ocean.

A shadow soon fell upon Rose as she rowed with all her might away from the boats who grew ever closer. Rose glanced up and felt her stomach drop when she saw that a mighty ship was about to run her down. Somehow, these men had employed a massive vessel to impede her progress. This fight was most certainly going to end in her doom, but still she endured despite the odds. She _had_ to get back to the _Pearl;_ It was the only chance of Jack being saved from the Turkish Prison!

Rose nearly leapt out of the boat in alarm when the end of a rope fell seemingly out of the heavens and across the boat. She looked up to see that it had come from the deck of the ship flanking her starboard side.

"ROSE!" she heard Ben cry from above. "Grab hold and leave the boat!"

Rose sighed in relief and eagerly obeyed, securing the rope around her waist and grabbing onto it tightly. Suddenly, the rope jerked and sent her careening upwards and onto the deck, just as the first shots her fired right where she would have been sitting just moments earlier.

Now safe on deck and out of range of the attackers' pistols, Rose toppled onto the main deck and loosened her rope harness. Only upon being helped to her feet by Ben did she see a crew of completely unfamiliar faces and Anamaria, standing at her usual place at the quarter deck. Rose rushed up to her side.

"Thanks for the rescue!" she cried.

"No Jack?" Anamaria asked, spinning the wheel madly to turn out of the Tripoli harbor. "SLACK THE WINDWARD BRACE AND SLEET, YOU MANGY BILGE RATS!" she then shouted to the men on deck, who were rapidly scurrying to and fro to complete her orders.

"No," Rose replied to both Ben and Anamaria. "I must get the _Pearl_ to Turkey."

"Turkey?" Ben asked.

"It's not far from here. He was arrested."

Anamaria snorted. "Typical. Looks like Jack needed rescuing from me even sooner than he anticipated."

Rose grinned. "Will you help us? You've got a hold of an impressive ship and crew. And so soon, too!"

Anamaria smiled sadly. "My guidance ends here, I'm afraid. I'll get you and Ben back to the _Pearl_ , but then I'm off. I only got this ship with lofty promises of riches beyond anything they've ever seen. I intend to keep that promise, unlike certain _others_ I could mention…"

She was clearly referencing Jack's less-than-quality leadership skills, but Rose waved it off. "I'm thankful even for that much, Anamaria. I am extremely indebted to you."

Anamaria nodded, her eyes still distant, as her mind was racing with more commands to make her steady escape from Tripoli. "You and Ben grab a rope and be ready to swing. We're coming on the _Pearl_ now, and I don't intend to slow my pace."

Those were the last words Rose and Anamaria would ever say to each other, as Anamaria indeed didn't slow for them. Ben and Rose swung individually onto the _Pearl_ 's deck, and even then Ben almost fell headfirst into the ocean below. Once safely aboard, Rose only barely got a chance to wave a goodbye to Anamaria, which was returned with a smile as her ship quickly fled into the horizon.

By this time, it was almost dusk, and Rose's eyesight was beginning to fade for the night. She took Gibbs and Ben to Jack's quarters and mapped out a route to get to the Turkish prisons. They would be able to make the journey in three days, which would also allow Jack enough time to get to the prison and find Eddad, Rose thought. As plans progressed, Rose felt elation despite the danger Jack was still very much in— _this_ was the pirate's life, and it suited her well.

* * *

The _Pearl_ had arrived in the harbor bordering the Turkish Prison, which was a large, oblong building that stood precariously on a rocky bluff overlooking the sea, a day late. Storms had hit the area, and Rose was terrified that this delay had caused only more troubles for Jack. In order to appease the crew and convince them that their captain was not an imbecile incapable of going a few months without capture, Rose lied, telling them all that Jack was in the prison in search of valuable riches. This wasn't entirely untrue, but she kept her story vague enough so that it could be interpreted in a variety of ways. The crew ultimately decided to wait out the night in the harbor and see what daybreak brought. With the winds and choppy waters, attacking the prison would prove ineffective, as the prison's cannons would be stationary, stable, and far more precise than any of the _Pearl_ 's. It was pointless trying to break in to the prison in this weather. They would assess their options in the daylight, then potentially make their attack the following evening.

Rose sat in Jack's chair feeling rather unsettled at all of this, and was trying very hard to not let worry overtake her. She knew she should get sleep for a clear head in the morning, but she was too restless to do so. Suddenly, Rose looked up to find that Ben had entered the room. He had a sheepish look on his face, and had his hands folded in front of him.

"Apologies," he muttered. "I'm…well… _many_ apologies are in order, I'm afraid." He waited for Rose to acknowledge this, but she only raised her eyebrows and leaned forward in interest. He continued, "I…lashed out, that night on the main deck when I was sick. I had been drinking a bit and I shouldn't have treated you so." After a moment, he hesitantly asked, "We could try again with medicine, yes?"

 _He's only apologizing so I keep helping him,_ thought Rose. _"_ Sorry, I don't have any," she replied, expressionless.

He walked closer to her. "Look, Rose, said I'm sorry."

But Rose felt used. Jack's words of concern had started to take root in her mind, and she began to also find it oddly convenient that he would only ever make himself available to her whenever he was either incredibly lonesome or saw a means to get ahead. Rose didn't know how to vocalize these thoughts aloud, however, so she instead stated, "Saying that you're sorry and showing it are two separate things."

Ben's expression changed as she said this. He approached her slowly, kneeling down beside her chair and placing a hand atop hers. He then grew very close to her face. Rose saw lust in his eyes, just as she had seen the night they had reunited unknowingly on Shipwreck Island, as he said, "I know a way I can show it."

This led to him kissing her. And Rose once again was thrust into an emotional battle as part of her adamantly wanted him to stop so he wouldn't reap the benefits of his outlandish behavior, while another part of her surrendered to the exhilaration she felt at his touch. This battle raged as he led her into a standing position and began backing her up against a wall.

He began kissing her neck. Breathless, Rose asked, "But you said just the other day that you felt nothing when you were with me…"

"Shh," he whispered. He then kissed her more passionately and held her closer than he ever had before. All thoughts stopped for Rose as raw instinct took over, and it stayed that way for a time until Rose heard him ask her seductively, "Will _that_ apology do?"

Rose immediately snapped back into her logical mind. "…do for what?" she asked, enraged. Ben looked bewildered, brow furrowed in confusion, but suddenly Rose understood. She pushed him away from her. "You thought I was being coy? Do you really think me so base? I don't have anything more to give you, Ben! You think that I would withhold medicine from you for my own purposes?"

"What do you mean?" he asked incredulously. "That's it?!"

Her mouth fell agape in shock. "Unbelievable. You didn't even come here tonight out of love. Once _again_ you only came here to use me for my services. For _all_ of my services!"

"You're honestly telling me that that's all you're willing to do for me?" he spat. "After all that time in that blasted bayou, that witch didn't teach you _anything_ more useful?"

"How dare you. Why are you this way? You blame the drink, but I can clearly see this is just _you."_

 _"_ I'm in hell, Rose. It's because of you I ever met the curse in the first place, and even still the aftereffects remain a prevalent force in my life. I can't shake it and yet you _still_ do nothing to help me!"

Rose ran her hands through her hair in exasperation. "I don't know what else to do, Ben! I'm trying, but you must be patient!"

"I don't see you putting Jack's needs by the wayside. You're something else! You feign love for me. If you really loved me, you'd place me, _my_ health and _my_ safety as a priority."

Shaking in anger, Rose glared at him. "If _you_ really loved me, you wouldn't use me so! What happened to you? This is not the Ben I knew!"

Ben slammed his hands against the wall, causing Rose to start. After a moment, he muttered, "The Ben you knew died. He's gone somewhere on the Isla de Muerta, killed off by the Aztec curse. Blast the day I ever got onboard this bloody vessel!"

"Go ahead, say it," Rose laughed bitterly. "Blame me like you said in your rage on Port Royal. If I'm so horrible, then why did you agree to help me find Jack? Why didn't you stay behind on Port Royal after you said you were going to? All the times I was willing to voyage where you wouldn't go, still you joined me. Why?"

Ben said nothing, and only brooded, his eyes to the ground.  
"WHY?" she cried.

"Because I couldn't stand being left alone again!" Rose stood straighter, her jaw tight. He continued,"It's…it's been too bloody long of this. I've had a mind several times to say, 'Blast it all' and go ashore for good. But…for some reason, I can't let myself start all over again. I can't do it alone." Defeated, he looked up at her. "And you've made it perfectly clear you're not leaving Jack…"

"No. And _especially_ not now, I'm not," she replied through gritted teeth. "How could you ever expect me to give everything up for someone who treats me so cruelly?"

Ben had no answer for her. Honestly, no answer would have sufficed. Rose pointed to the door and ordered him to leave her. He obeyed without protest, and once she heard the click of the door shut, she collapsed back into her brother's chair. What _had_ happened to the Ben she knew? There were flashes of the sweet boy she knew from her childhood still inside of him, so she knew he wasn't entirely gone for good. But could she ever find a way to bring that part of him back to the forefront. And even more importantly, was it even worth it?

Rose rested her head against the back of the upholstered chair and closed her eyes, which were now heavy from exhaustion and deep unrest. One thing Ben said absolutely could not be refuted; He was not a priority. Jack was and would forever remain her foremost priority between the two. And right now, she needed to rest to ensure a clear head to plan out his safe return.

* * *

Nightmares were nothing foreign to Rose. She had grown to accept their constant appearances during the course of her sleep, though never would she quite get used to them. One recurring nightmare had started to become more and more frequent in her dreams, much to her bewilderment; It was the dream where she would be running as fast as she could away from some unknown danger into the arms of a man whose face she could not make out. The man would hold her, then betray her by thrusting her into a pit where she would wake up upon making contact with the ground. Recently, however, the dream grew longer. There were times when Rose would not wake upon hitting the ground, and instead bathe in the immense pain that surrounded her broken body. Another man would then appear out of the shadows and begin to slowly piece her back together, though she too could not make out his face.

Tonight however, the nightmare caused Rose to wake in a panicked sweat even before the first man had thrust her into the pit. Rose finally saw the man who made the betrayal; His face was Ben's.

As she struggled to catch her breath, she was greeted to the sound of a great commotion on deck. Sleepily, she stumbled to the door, assuming that she had slept the duration of the night. When she opened the door, however, she couldn't see a thing. It was still the same night, and she had only been asleep a few hours at most.

She waited at the door to see what the commotion was about. Her heart raced when she heard Jack's voice. "Set sail in a generalllllllll…that way direction!" She then grimaced. Jack had sent his crew on a mission halfway around the world with little to no payoff, and now was demonstrating his typical, devil-may-care attitude. She only prayed that this trip had been worth the effort.

"Go on! Snap to and make sail! You know how these things work!" he called out. She then heard him approach the doorway where she stood.

"Shoo," he said, motioning her inside.

"Well?" she said, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Jack held up a dirty piece of parchment with some splotched ink across it in her face. Recoiling, she took a look at it from further away and saw that this parchment depicted the shape of a key.

"That's it?"

"'That's it?' What do you mean, 'That's it?!' _That,_ " he protested, "Is nearly a week's worth of work, only to discover that Eddad died and was about ready to be cast off to sea. A little pretending I was dead, a little being carried off to the morgue, a little getting cozy with poor ole Eddad, then using his leg as an oar, and voila! I have returned, and you lot never even fired a single cannon! Now we're off for the Caribbean once more. _That's_ it!"

Rose blinked. "We traveled all this way for some rotted parchment."

Jack huffed. "Small-minded. Come now, now we know what it looks like, at least!"

"When Sah Muhsine said that Hadim gave Eddad, 'information,' I…I don't know, expected more."

"Then learn to expect less, love," Jack retorted. "That way you'll always be impressed with the result."

"Jack, what good will knowing what it looks like do us if we don't know _where_ it is?"

Jack shrugged. "At least we know all the keys that it's _not,_ there's that!"

Rose only shook her head in disbelief, then shuffled her way to her bed.

"Wait what's this?" Jack asked as she got into bed. "The night's still young, I'm alive and well, let's celebrate!"

"The way _I'm_ choosing to celebrate is sleeping easy, Jack," Rose said with a yawn. "Wake me when we're back in the Caribbean."

"That'll be weeks away, love."

"…like I said, wake me when we're back in the Caribbean."


	40. Chapter 7 - A New Beginning

However much Rose may have wanted to sleep for three weeks, she quickly readjusted back to crew life. With Anamaria's guidance still at the front of her mind, Rose spent most days manning the wheel of the _Pearl,_ even waving off men who tried to relieve her of duty for a few hours. She loved the feel of being in control of a vessel as large as the _Black Pearl,_ and relished the feeling of her rudder turn and shift along with her, cutting through miles upon miles of open ocean.

This made the days short for Rose, which was a blessed relief from the seemingly endless nights she spent. She was constantly in limbo at night; If she slept, she was haunted by the Ben dream. If she stayed awake, she was faced with the endless darkness brought upon by her poor eyesight.

On one of these seemingly endless nights close to the end of their long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, Rose chose to forgo the nightmares and stand at the bow, breathing in the sea air and feeling the wind whip her hair straight back. Just then, she heard someone approach her from her right.

She turned her head. "Who's there?" she asked.

"Only me," Ben replied.

Rose's heart fluttered. They hadn't really spoken since their last fight, exchanging only necessary information regarding various ship operations as they worked during the day. He hadn't asked her for any more medicine since that day, but she assumed that he was back again for that very purpose.

Instead of leaping to the defensive immediately, Rose posited a non-controversial thought that she had been wondering about for quite some time now. "Are the stars out?" she asked.

"Aye."

She smiled up towards the sky, her eyes still searching despite the night blindness. "I've always wondered what they look like. They must be innumerable."

She felt Ben shift uncomfortably. "They're just…white dots."

"Yes but they are patterned, they shoot across the sky, they tell sailors where they are in the world…surely they must be more than that."

"Believe me," he said quietly. "There are far greater wonders of the world than stars."

She wished she could one day see them to say so herself, and she grew disheartened by Ben's lack of a response. Not looking towards him, she stated simply, "I don't have the herbs, if that's what you're looking for."

Ben guiltily replied, "No, I know."

"Have the pains subsided?" she asked hopefully.

"No," he replied. "I've merely learned to live with them."

They spent a time in silence until Rose grew restless. "What can I help you with then, Ben?"

"I am profoundly apologetic," he muttered.

"As were you the last time, and the time before that and the time before that," she interrupted. "And each time you just want something from me. So what is it this time?"

"Forgiveness," he replied. He then gently took her by the shoulders and moved her body to face him. "I don't know why I am the way that I am; If it's the pain, or the drink, or a curse… But you're the only person I have left in this world and I couldn't stand to lose you."

She took a deep breath before saying, "Nor I." Taking his hands in hers, she murmured, "I do not understand how each day you fail to see how much I have always loved you."

"I don't know why you _would,"_ he said sadly. "After all this and yet you still try to save me."

She smiled. "It's because we're fated to be together, you and I."

"So it would seem."

"No, I mean it. Tia Dalma told me a prophecy. She said that my fate would be joined with a dead man, and that I would mend his heart, and that he bring me great joy." She reached out her hand gingerly until her fingertips touched his cheek, then she laid her hand on the side of his face. "It's _you,_ Ben. I assure you, I won't ever give up on you, but you must try to be gentle, and kind, and loving as once you were. If you're to be my fate I would like it to at least be a pleasant one."

He leaned in to kiss her again, but Rose pulled away. "Slowly," she said. "Rushing things has only caused more pain in the past."

He nodded. "May I take you somewhere tonight?"

Rose gave a small laugh in confusion. "Where could we possibly go in the middle of the night on the open ocean?"

He wrapped his arm around her and led her to the center of the deck. "We can go up."

Ben climbed up first to relieve the watch on the crow's nest of his duties for the night. Then, he climbed back down and guided Rose up carefully, step by step. Once they had reached the top, Rose was grateful that she couldn't see how far up they were. He took her hand and guided her to the wooden plank flooring of the crows nest. He had laid down his coat for them to sit upon and let her lay her head on his shoulder.

"And…this is alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered with a smile. She felt the warmth of his body next to hers and found his hand, clasping it firmly with both of hers.

Some time passed as they moved gently together with the rocking of the ship. "…what now?" he said uncertainly.

"Here we stay," she murmured. "Just…together. This is a first step."

He kissed the top of her head. "I will try to make life better for us, I promise," he whispered.

She then heard him exhale deeply, settling in to this space with her and Rose felt her eyelids grew heavy. A pit still persisted in her stomach, a never-ending tightness that refused to subside. This wasn't over, but relief enough existed that even though there would be a long, challenging road ahead for Rose to remedy their relationship, with quite a bit of compromise on Ben's end, this was at the very least the slightest bit of progress.

* * *

This peace didn't last long however.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK! SCURRY! SCURRY, I WANT MOVEMENT!"

Jack's voice flooded the deck, causing Rose and Ben to start and nearly fall straight out of the crow's nest. Rose could tell by the sudden burst of ambient sounds that the rest of the crew had responded in a similar fashion, and suddenly everyone had raced up on deck in a flash.

"Ben?" Rose asked, feeling around the space.

"I'm here," he said, already climbing out of the nest and back onto the rope ladder. "We have to go."

"What in the blazes is going on?"

"You know as much as I do," he replied. "Come." He led her down to the chaos of the main deck, but then quickly darted back towards Jack's cabin, where Rose would be safe from the rushing crew members darting to and fro, trying their best to keep up with Jack's rapid instructions as he screamed them at the top of his lungs. "RUN! RUN AS IF THE DEVIL HIMSELF AND ITSELF WERE UPON US!"

"MCHENRY! Secure that line!" someone to their right cried out.

"Go," Rose said to Ben. "I'm fine here."

She felt him obey, then used her ears to find Jack. She heard him cry out in surprise by the mast.

"JACK'S HAT!" Gibbs cried out. Rose could hear all the men scurry to the far end of the deck to retrieve it, but all noise stopped when Jack protested, "No no! Leave it! …run!"

Confused, the men began to murmur amongst themselves and occupy themselves with various odd tasks, now fully awake after being so suddenly jolted from their peaceful slumber.

Rose could hear that Jack was leaning against his chamber doors only a few paces from where she was.

Gibbs was nearby. "For the love of mother and child, Jack! What's coming after us?"

Jack hesitated. "Nothing." he finally mumbled. With that, he suddenly sprang into a sprint, rushing past Rose and slamming the door to his cabin shut without another word.

Rose sighed, reaching her hand to feel her way back inside. Once she had successfully done so, she waited for her eyes to readjust back to the light and then made her way to where her brother sat, cowering his chair.

"What in the name of all that is good and holy did you find in that cellar, Jack?"

Jack, eyes still wide looked at her and he only said, "Rather, 'who found me?'"


	41. Chapter 8 - The End

"Alright, let's go over the strategy again," Jack said for the fifth time that night.

Rose sighed. A headache was starting to form. She rubbed her fingertips against her forehead and sighed, "Alright."

"Right. Now, if we happen to come upon the latest wreckage that Jones has dilapidated, you will remain hidden, savvy?"

"For the thirtieth time, yes!" she groaned.

He continued, taking no notice of her agitation. "Now, say that Jones…or others…were to attack, completely out of happenstance _…_ nonetheless, what do you do?"

"While you and the men fight off Jones and his crew, whether it be by sword or by ship, I retreat to the brig and sit in the corner farthest from the door, because I am fragile doll that can easily be molested," she recited unenthusiastically.

Jack glared at her joke. "Correct," he said, rhythmically pacing his cabin from wall to wall. "Now, what will you be wearing?"

"A corset?" she droned sarcastically, even though she knew the correct answer.

Jack gave her a sidelong glance. "Hilarious. Honestly! Answer the question."

Rose answered in a monotone. "I will be wearing whatever clothes you've managed to scare up in that chest over there, and disguise myself as a man."

Giving her another rueful sidelong glance, he muttered, "Indeed. And could you please be _more_ unhappy about the matter?"

Rose smirked. "I could, if you so wish."

Rolling his eyes, he walked to the window overlooking the vast ocean that they had just surmounted. Rose knew that Jack probably wasn't appreciating her blunt humor at this very stressful moment, so she followed him apologetically. His eyes were distant, as if imagining some unknown horror.

"How's the spot?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

He blinked out of it. "Spotty," was all he responded.

"Let me see." She took his hand and unwrapped the bandage she provided. Nothing had changed since she had wrapped it and placed a poultice upon it—no lightening or darkening, no recession in swelling, no recession at _all_. "Well, it doesn't retain the qualities of a burn, because the aloe did nothing..." she murmured.

Jack sighed. "I appreciate the help, love, but this is one malady you can't fix."

"You haven't explained this all to me," she said, confronting him once more. "You meet a waterlogged sailor—"

"I would call him more _soggy..."_

"NEVERTHELESS," she stated firmly, "He warns you of a curse upon you…But here's what I fail to comprehend; You said that Jones can appear anywhere when at sea. Why wouldn't Jones come and mark you himself?"

Jack shrugged. "Dramatic effect, I presume. Keeping it all in the family by sending in Turner I suppose."

Rose's eyes went wide. "Did you say 'Turner?'"

Jack grimaced. "Did I not mention that? Oh…yes, the squatter in my cellar was Bootstrap Bill Turner."

Rose was shocked. "But he's…" She readjusted herself, suddenly uncomfortable. "Well. Jones's crew really _is_ composed of the dead, aren't they?"

"Told you."

Rose rubbed her temples, trying once again to put this all together. "So… _Bootstrap,_ I suppose, warns you that your time is up, the spot appears…and…why are we making haste to land?"

Jack had his head in his hands, "We will all be safe on land."

"By what means?"

"HIS means!"

"Jones? How could he possibly track you down? The _Pearl_ is the fastest ship in the Caribbean..." Her voice trailed off as he looked her sadly. Suddenly her heart dropped as she realized, "The _Dutchman_ is faster _,_ isn't she?"

"Not only that," he explained. "But also heavier with ammunition, larger, higher staffed, taller, and all around slimier." He sighed and looked away. "We've been beat."

"What will land do?" Rose asked. "I mean, if the _Dutchman_ is as grand as you say, they will catch us in no time at all."

"The black spot's not for Jones," Jack said, sneering. "He's got…a large, tentacled beastie. The Kraken, he calls it. It would take it…oh, I say, maybe five minutes to devour the ship whole."

Rose nodded slowly. "Right. Land it is, then." Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. "Wait. Land! We could go to Tia Dalma!"

"No," Jack said simply.

"She's on land, and she will certainly know how to help you! I wouldn't mind returning for a visit, let her know I found you…"

Jack turned to her, "Oh I guarantee you, love, she already knows." He sighed with exasperation, resigning to his chair in defeat. "She's the one who told me of the _Pearl_ in the first place. She knew Jones kept her in his domain…Lord knows she knows _all_ about Jones." Rose was slightly confused at the inflection of his knowing tone when he spoke of Tia's conference with Jones, but he continued before she had any time to ponder it further. "She warned me of the bargain Jones would make in exchange for the _Pearl_ , and all I'll get from going back to her is more of the same and perhaps a stern lecture. Not doing it. Besides," he continued, "That's why I traded Angelica for this blessed compass in the first place!" He triumphantly held up his compass and flicked it open, watching the arrow's movement. "It points to whatever I want most, and what I want most now is…"

His voice trailed off as he watched the arrow's motion. Rose had never known the compass to take more than a few seconds to choose a direction and stick to it, but she watched as Jack's eyes followed the arrow's unceasing loop and gradually narrow in frustration. He slapped the lid shut upon realizing that he was defeated; There _was_ no direction. He didn't know what he wanted.

"Well blast the ruddy thing! I want land, that's what I want!" he declared in fury.

Rose walked closer to him. "You want a way out," she corrected. "You need to tell the crew. Let them help you- I'm not enough! We can't keep this charade afloat much longer."

Jack's eyes were distant. She could tell that her words weren't getting through to him, and this was all but confirmed as she heard him say, "Land. Any land. Land will make this better."

Rose frowned. "Improvisation?" she asked in disappointment.

Jack grinned, "As always, love!"

* * *

"LAND HO!"

Rose heard it subconsciously but barely stirred. That night she had dreamt of a group of ships colliding with one another. They stood large and fierce, piled one on top of another into a large pyramid. A fire burned beneath a ship still mostly in tact in the corner. The fire must have hit gunpowder, because in an instant, there was a large explosion and the fire spread to the top of the stack. It even spread over the water towards where she stood on the bank on the opposite shore. Rose couldn't move, even as the flames lapped at her feet, grew over her legs. No, she couldn't even wake up. She was frozen in this time and this space. It would have felt incredibly real were it not for the cool, icy sensation the fire brought as it engulfed her body, like walking into the ocean not yet warmed by the sun.

She fully awoke when she heard Joshamee enter abruptly. "Captain, we found land!" Jack nearly fell out of his chair he was so startled. "Aye! Yes!" Suddenly, he stopped, getting to his feet and inspecting his compass. Not looking up, he asked, "Where exactly _are_ we?" Joshamee replied, "As I recall, sir, your directive was to find land. _Any_ land."

Suddenly Jack was full of energy. "Yes yes! It doesn't matter! Why are you bothering me with petty details? Gibbs, I need the ship beached. We grow near land as close as we can, then proceed to take a longboat to land, pull the ship up by rope. Everyone is to leave this vessel, everyone! Is that understood?"

"Everyone, sir?" Joshamee asked uncertainly.

"Did I not make myself clear?" he asked first to Gibbs and then looked to Rose for an answer. She nodded her head obediently.

"Right then," Jack commanded. "Prepare the ship to lay anchor on land, all hands on deck!"

He swiftly marched out the door and onto the deck, Rose and Gibbs quickly on his heels. She nearly careened into him as the morning air hit them, however, when he stopped abruptly upon seeing the island they were approaching.

"Oh," Jack said with a sneer.

"What is it?" Rose asked. "It's land, isn't it?"

Jack turned in confidence to her and to Gibbs. Voice low, he said, "Any… _other_ land by any chance?"

"Jack…" Rose warned with a pointed glance. The Kraken was a real threat. They didn't have time for games.

Gibbs said in concern, "What is this place? Jack, have you…have you been here before?"

Jack's upper lip twitched. "Do you recall that tale I told about the islanders who made me their chief?"

Gibbs put his head in his hands and groaned. "Isla de Pelegostos. This isn't…"

"It is," Jack replied.

"What is this?" Rose asked, having not heard this tale.

Gibbs, jaw tight, turned to her. "Jack had a run in with this-"

" _Lovely_ group of people, I assure you," Jack interrupted.

Gibbs tried again, "…and they live-"

"Very hospitable, respectable lives," Jack interrupted again. To Rose, he muttered, "Fascinating culture, really. Very religious, very protective of their land, and…very impressed with me. But then again, who isn't?"

Rose groaned. "What did you do to them?"

"Honestly, nothing!" Jack said. "A bit of sweet talking, a few months spent exalted as one of their gods, and now I'm…fairly fluent in their language. I've got friends in high places!"

"Then what's the problem?" Rose asked. "We need friends right now."

"THEY EAT PEOPLE!" Gibbs blurted in a frustrated panic.

"Hey!" Jack protested. "Don't knock it until you've tried it!"

Rose was certainly taken aback. Eating other humans was most definitely not in her moral code, but this island group had their own ways of sustaining their own lives. The trouble was that her and the crew's own ways of life directly conflicted with these islanders.

"A bit 'out of the frying pan and into the fire,' eh?" Rose said through gritted teeth. "We leave one danger and go directly into another?"

"Not a problem, I don't think," Jack waved her off. "I know them, they _love_ me—I calmly tell them not to eat you and we just…genuinely hope that my language skills are up to par."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and resignedly said, "I'll…ready the crew then, I suppose."

Although still very skeptical, Rose followed him in order to aid in what was sure to be a very arduous process.  
It took over an hour to pull the ship to shore due to low tide. All of the crew worked at it, including Rose. When the work was done, she had rope burns upon her hands. When she returned on board the vessel again whenever they would once more, she would have to remember to wrap them with herbs. Perhaps she should treat some of the crew as well when they returned…this was all given that Jones didn't find them first.

"Ben!" Rose shouted, spotting him and running through the shallow water toward him as the remaining crew members handled the ropes. He smiled when he saw her. "Feeling any better?" she asked.

"Well," he said. "No rest, but then again, _none_ of us returned to sleep after Jack's interruption."

"Aye," Rose said demurely. She noticed the rest of the crew gathering together on the beach, and together she and Ben moved to join them.

Jack was in the middle of declaring his orders to the group. "We are dealing with indigenous folks with certain…tastes." Rose winced at the pun. "If you see anything, stay alert, for they aren't initially the friendliest of folks. Follow along, and stay close!"

They began to to walk into the lush foliage, Ben and Rose on the outer edge just a few paces away from where Jack was marching at the head of the crew.

"Do _you_ know where we are?" Ben whispered.

"Not quite," she lied. "Somewhere near to Jamaica I know. Perhaps closer to the southern continent, although I can't be certain. I saw that we were headed south."

"It certainly feels southern," he said, referring to the sticky heat. He then looked at her, then handed her his canteen of rainwater. Rose silently accepted it, thinking all the while that perhaps this action was another positive sign. Maybe she was finally getting through to him. Maybe he was changing. In the middle of a deep gulp, she noticed a large mountaintop with steep cliffs that seemed incredibly steep. Rose looked ahead at Jack and the crew clearing a pathway through the deep forest and wondered how far (or high) they intended to go.

Ben interrupted her thoughts. "Do you reckon we're here to find some fresh water?" She had nearly forgotten that the crew had no idea why they were here, why they had been ordered to beach the ship, or why Jack had been acting so odd. Rose was the only one in Jack's confidence, and he wasn't even being completely candid with _her._ Rose so desperately wished to tell Ben everything, but thought it best to keep Jack's greatest fears quiet. Mutely, she replied, "Most likely."

They continued their trek fairly wordlessly, exchanging a small observation or two. Suddenly, Ben stopped her, placing his arm in front of her body. The group continued to journey on. Rose began to speak, confused, only to be quieted by Ben again. She followed his gaze to the right of the trail. Rose had no idea what he was gazing so intently at. Suddenly, she saw movement. It was a small child, camouflaged with natural paints, crouched in the underbrush, collecting what looked like roots. Ben turned slowly, his eyes meeting Rose's, and they both wordlessly darted toward the group. He led, pushing through the crew toward the front where Jack was. "Captain!" he called. Jack didn't acknowledge him until he was a few yards behind him, and by then, it was too late.

"Captain!" Ben said sharply. Jack turned, brow furrowed. "We found them."

"What?" Jack asked. Gibbs stopped instantly and motioned for the others to do the same.

Ben said between breaths, "We saw a child, Rose and—"

He never finished that sentence. For just then, a fishing spear flew through the air and pierced open his neck. Gagging and in shock, his mouth gasped helplessly for air. He put his hand to the spear, feeling his killer as the men watched in shock. As Rose remembers it now, the moment feels like it stretched on for hours, but in reality it was so fast. There was an incredible silence when the spear first penetrated his skin. Not three seconds later, he fell to the ground, never to breathe, never to hold her again.


	42. Chapter 9 - Isla de Pelegostos

Rose screamed though she wasn't heard, for by that time, a fearsome battle cry sounded from the forest. It seemed as though the trees were attacking, for shapes the men all had assumed were inanimate suddenly sprung to life as human beings painted and camouflaged like the child Ben and Rose had just seen emerged with spears and darts flying, encircling the crew.

After Ben was hit, several more men were struck, falling to the ground, lifeless. Jack thrust his arm in front of Rose as the remaining men drew their swords and guns, firing and swinging wildly for their lives. The memory is a blur for Rose because this was the moment that life began to move at double the speed for her. She watched as Jack parried with large man, while a pirate next to her fell, a spear through his abdomen. Jack pushed away his attacker, then took the moment to examine his surroundings quickly. He found the one spot in the ambush circle that was empty, and thrust Rose forcefully into the underbrush. She was soon engulfed in green foliage, but not completely hidden. Rose looked up through the brush. "GO ROSE!" Jack yelled. She stumbled backward and tripped over a tree root. She continued to crawl backwards, hot tears and rogue branches stinging her face. Rose wanted to scream in agony and confusion. What had just happened? Why was Ben dead? What would become of the rest?

 _The rest!_

Her sides heaving with grief and adrenaline, she started to crawl back silently in the opposite direction, back to the group. Maybe there was a way she could save the rest of them, if it wasn't too late already. If she could draw their attention and have them make chase after her, then perhaps the crew could get back to the ship...

Rose was nearing the ambush site. Suddenly, a shot rang out and she froze.

"EH! EH! Ka timi loozoo? Isipi!" she heard Jack cry. Rose heard several "ooh's" from the area. She neared closer, on her stomach. As she peered through the vines, she could just barely make out the scene; Jack, Joshamee, Cotton without his parrot, Marty, Leech and many of his friends remained. Ben and the other half of the men were dead on the ground. Their weapons were sheathed, as Jack held his pistol high above his head, shouting in their native tongue. "Kama lama insipi zutu, savvy?" When they didn't reply, he continued, "Say say lo tiki tiki."

Several looked to one another, nodding and murmuring, "Lo tiki tiki."

The large man Jack had been fighting said something to another of his men and asked something of Jack, motioning to the crew. "I ta?" Jack said. "No no no! Fi fi say shookoo koh toh me wah say."

The man then gave orders to the group, seeming pleased. Two women escorted Jack gently into the green darkness, where they quickly disappeared. That is when Rose noticed how many indigenous people there actually were. Two grabbed each living crew member by the arms and dragged them after the women and Jack, but Gibbs was the last to be led away. Rose watched as he quickly broke the twine wrapped around the mouth of the flask he carried with him at all times and strung it out to lay over the foliage leading towards the trail where the others had disappeared. Gibbs was no fool- he knew Rose had escaped and was laying a trail for her to find them later on. Rose made a mental note of this while watching three native men carried each of the deceased, including Ben. Fresh tears formed and Rose opened her mouth, silently sobbing as he disappeared behind the others. Soon they were all gone. Quiet was once more in this part of the jungle, or so she thought. Yet there were more islanders, a thin, tall man ordering a group of ten to do something. As she observed, she saw the same child, their betrayer, telling the others a detailed account. She saw on his fingers that he counted out twenty three— exactly the number in her group. He then counted twenty two out as he talked, then showing the others that there was one more left— _Rose._ She started to hastily retreat back into the greenery, noticing that the tall man was ordering the group to stay in the area. Rose began to move back further, but the weight of her body snapped a twig, creating a sharp crack. A man standing nearest to her turned in her direction. She couldn't move. After a moment his attention went back to the group, but Rose couldn't even breathe a sign of relief, for she was still in the utmost danger.

After awhile they began to set up a trap for her. Laying a hand woven string that triggered some sort of pulley overhead, if Rose were to walk into it, she would be hoisted by her leg into the air, helpless. The orders then were given for the group to hide in the foliage for her to reappear. Her heart began to race. What if one of them stumbled upon her, _literally_. She couldn't move or they would most definitely hear her. She was stuck, and she had to take her chances and wait. But what was she waiting for? Jack might have bought some time declaring himself as chief, but the rest of the crew were almost certainly going to be killed. Rose found herself wondering if she could man a ship like the _Pearl_ by herself.

 _By herself._ She was all alone. Alone with about a dozen island people who killed the people she knew, as well as her deepest love. This couldn't be the end to her destiny. It _couldn't._

Ultimately, she decided that she was hidden enough as she relaxed her body into the moist soil. Her only comfort was that it was cool where she laid. She softly cried to herself, until the sounds of the jungle ultimately lulled her into a tormented sleep.

* * *

Rose dreamt again, only this time it was a new nightmare. Fire consumed her legs and burned hotter than she could ever imagine. Her ears began to swell with screams and yells, whooping and cries, as though people were celebrating her burning.

All of a sudden she awoke, realizing that the cheers she was hearing were really happening. Blinking awake, she had almost hoped the entire event was a dream, but quickly remembered where she was. It took her awhile to see the Englishman, a young man, tied up in the trap that was designed for herself. He swung his sword wildly and yelled insults at them. There was something familiar about him. He flung his body towards the islanders standing in front of her and she caught a brief glimpse of his face.

 _Will Turner._

Rose gasped out loud in spite of herself, and watched helplessly as a man opposite her blew a dart in Will's throat and he went limp. His sword fell to the ground. He most assuredly was dead. Once more, fresh tears formed. They took his body down and tied him like a roast pig to a pole. Then, all twelve disappeared the same way the others did.

A fearsome anger boiled inside her. She was NOT going to be the sole survivor on this journey as she watched people around her get slaughtered and taken away. As soon as she heard their footsteps subside, Rose ran to the center of the clearing and grabbed Will's sword for protection, rushing in the same way they went. She followed the path for some time, as it made way to open air, into caverns, and back into foliage. Soon, the path was gone and a wall of leaves and vines was all there was. She started to cut through angrily, at this point careless if she lived or died.

It was no use. They must have pushed through as they ascended up the mountain, not even leaving a trace.

Rose collapsed in a heap, now sobbing uncontrollably as she had wanted to do for hours now. This wasn't fair. How could this have happened? Rose had so many plans. Every ounce of her being told her that she would spend the rest of her life with Ben. Even Tia had told her that she would marry a dead man. The only way this could possibly be was if she meant Ben, who at one time _was_ dead. But Ben _never_ felt even a third of the affection Rose felt for him. And now it was too late. He was gone forever.

Her heart was content to grieve where she sat, but what was left of her rational mind told her to go on, to keep searching. Yet she found herself walking in the direction whence she just came, back to the clearing, through the cleared jungle and back to the beach. Rose had no idea what she was going to do. Even if it was clear that no one was coming back, it was unlikely that she could get that ship out to open sea by herself. But as she approached the starboard side of the vessel, she realized why she was here. If she could get aboard and create a diversion, maybe it could buy enough time for the survivors, if there were any left, to make an escape.

Rose climbed up the side of the ship with relative ease. The tide was much higher, splashing up near half of the body. However, she was quickly disoriented by the extreme angle to which the ship was positioned. Leaning toward to starboard side, Rose walked on the elevated boards. Her tears had stopped, but she was so exhausted and overwhelmed, all emotion was void.

Entering the crew's bunks, Rose walked through to the corner where Ben had once slept. All that remained of his life was a faulty pistol and a bundle of clothing. Wrapping his items in his hammock, Rose walked back to the edge of the back of the ship, then released the bundle into the ocean. An improper burial by many standards, but it gave her at least an ounce of closure.

She watched them sink into the ocean, lower, lower. _Lower?_ This meant that the tide was quite high now. If this kept up, the ship could easily sail away. Rose looked to the horizon, reaching into the recesses of her mind to formulate a plan. When she did so, she noticed a rowboat approaching. Quite close now, with two men aboard...two men and a dog. Suddenly a large wave tipped the contents and the soggy rowboat was pulled up on shore and the two men laughed and danced giddily about around the ship, supposing that it was abandoned. Rose ran to the brig and grabbed weapons, deciding to ambush the thieves once they were onboard. Perhaps she could arrange an agreement that the three of them together could man the ship, at least until arriving at civilization. Perhaps Rose could declare herself their captain. In spite of the anguish Rose felt, she found herself smiling. Oh, the power she suddenly found herself with. She took a seat on the larboard side of the ship, hidden behind a crate, watching the madness ensue.


	43. Chapter 10 - Return of an Old Friend

After hour two of watching the thieves fail to pull the _Pearl_ out to open sea themselves, Rose finally sheathed her sword. She was very well hidden behind the crate, and it wasn't worth spending her energy on fighting these two men if they could spend their own getting the ship out to see. _Then_ she could declare herself their superior and the three of them could then create a diversion. Or, if they tried to fight her, she felt confident enough in her skills that she could topple them overboard just as she had with the pirates in Tripoli and man the _Pearl_ herself.

When the first of the two made it on deck, however, she realized that these men were no strangers to the _Pearl._ The man stood a few paces away from her, then popped out a wooden eye from one of his sockets to clean it. _Ragetti!_ Just as he did, however, Jack the monkey startled him by leaping onto his shoulders. Ragetti cried out in alarm and dropped the eye, sending it rolling across the deck. This sent Jack racing off after it as well and Ragetti pouncing after him.

"PULL LOOSE THE MOORING LINE," Rose heard what was presumably Ragetti's fried Pintel cry from the beach below.

Ragetti plaintively called back, "He's got me eye! He won't give it back!"

Suddenly, Rose heard the splashing of several more people approaching the ship, and she stood up from behind her crate in alarm. To get great relief, however, she saw Joshamee, Cotton, Marty, and most of the original Pearl crew begin to climb up the side of the ship and pour onto the deck. Leech and the rest of his group were gone, which sadly was probably for the best as rumors were arising of a mutiny between them. But how did the others survive? Then, Rose noticed Will, still very much alive and conversing with Gibbs on the beach below. But Rose had seen him go limp from a dart...perhaps it was just a sedative. She searched desperately for Jack—nowhere to be found. Her heart sank. But she knew she had to swallow her worst fear for the moment because there was no time. She needed to aid the existing crew at once so they could escape the island.

Just at that moment, Rose heard Jack's unmistakable voice coming from the distance. From around the mountain on the shore, she spotted Jack, running for his life with hundreds of warriors trailing him. So much relief soread through her as she yelled, "RUN!" and freed several ropes with Will's sword for the crew to climb up. The tide was far enough now, and the ship began to rock with the force of the ocean against it. The ship evened out, and they began to steer towards open sea. Joshamee ascended, and immediately saw Rose standing at the helm. "Thank heavens, child! We're saved!" he cried, grasping her shoulders. She received a similar greetings from the rest of the surviving crew, or merely sympathetic glances. Pintel and Ragetti, suddenly very uncomfortable with the appearance of the ship's old crew, awkwardly hovered, trying to blend in with the crew as if they had always been there. Will was the last to come up with the group.

Jack, completely drenched by the ocean waves, then climbed aboard, but was immediately approached by both Joshamee and Will, and as they made their way to the forecastle deck, Rose stood back and waited. After some time of talking things through with Will, she watched Gibbs and Jack descend from the deck and make his way towards his quarters. However, he stopped upon descending the last step, making eye contact with Rose.

She began to burst into tears as soon as he saw her, and then he made a beeline straight for her and embraced her tightly.

"It's alright," he said soothingly. "We're away from all of that now."

Rose pulled away, and through staggered breaths, she said, "But…at what cost? Now we're back on open sea, and—"

Jack put up a hand to silence her. "It's alright. I'm charting a course for more land. I'll figure it out, I always do." She nodded, although this did nothing to assuage her fears. "Just, take a breath," Jack said. "Get some air, then we can talk as much as you need, savvy?"

She nodded again, and he left her there to plan out their next move. Rose wiped away her tears, looking out towards the island that had just completely overturned her life growing smaller and smaller as they fled from it. After a time, her breathing relaxed to a regular rate once more, and she became lost in thought. This was interrupted, however, but Will.

"Pardon my interruption," he said, "But I noticed you here and had to say hello once more. I'm glad to see that you ultimately found Jack. I don't believe you ever told me your name…"

Rose gave a small smile, but it wasn't enough to hide her sadness. "Rose Hexfury," she said. "It's good to see you alive, Will."

Will furrowed his brow. "You're upset. My apologies, I'll leave you be."

"No," she said. "I could use the company. And," she said, unfastening his cutlass that she had picked up from where he had dropped it on the island, "I have your sword."

Will gratefully accepted it. "Thank you for retrieving this," he replied, fastening it to his belt.

"That trap was set for me. It was the least I could do. And I owed you back from when you helped save me and Jack…and Ben." His name stung as it escaped her lips.

"He…didn't make it off the island, did he?"

Rose's eyes filled with tears once more as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," he replied, leaning his forearms on the railing. They stood there for awhile in silence, until Rose finally broke it with a desperate attempt at hope. "What about you? How does Elizabeth fare?" She turned to look at him. "We saw you two together on the bluff after Jack made his escape from Port Royal. You seemed to be successful."

Will gave a small smile at the memory, but then grew somber. "She's in irons."

"What?"

"Lord Beckett of the East India Trading Company is holding her as a prisoner for letting Jack go. He will keep her there unless…"

Rose finished the thought. "He has sent you to bring Jack in, is that it?"

"No actually. I need his compass."

Fully knowing the power of the compass, Rose tried not to show concern when she lied, "That compass is broken."

"That's what they all say," said Will. "But for some reason the head of the East India Trading Company needs his compass to free myself and my fiancée."

Rose grimaced. "But…Jack needs his compass. More than ever before, in fact."

Will shook his head. "I figured that you would say as much." He looked up at her. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it that connects you two? Why do you protect him?"

She finally conceded, letting the facade fall. "Jack's my brother."

"Brother?" Will looked taken aback. "I…did not expect that."

She shrugged. "It's true. I'm sorry I can't help you more in your quest. I very much feel for you and Elizabeth.

Will nodded sadly. "I understand. There is hope for us yet, however." Suddenly, he reached inside his vest pocket and procured the parchment with the drawing of the key on it. "Jack did just promise me his compass in return for finding this. Do you know anything about it?"

Rose gulped. She knew _much_ about it, but she wasn't sure that she was at liberty to tell Jack about the chest of Davy Jones. Instead, she just shook her head.

"As I also expected," Will replied, looking closer at it. "All Jack said was that we 'had a need to travel upriver.'"

Rose stood straighter at this. "What?"

"Aye," Will corroborated. "And I heard Gibbs mention a, 'passing fancy?' Do you know what he meant by that?"

Rose felt rage build deep inside her. "I know _precisely_ what he meant by that."

Rose rushed back to Jack's quarters. Slamming the door behind her, she yelled, "YOU!"

Jack spun around, grabbing his coat and his compass. "Rose, let's not lose our heads!"

Rose grabbed a nearby metal plate and threw it in his direction. He ducked behind his chair and it went careening across the room, crashing against the far wall. " _NOW_ YOU LISTEN TO ME!"

He peered over his chair. "THAT would be losing your head, wouldn't it?"

She threw a fork. "I SAID FROM THE START THAT WE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO TIA DALMA!" She grabbed her boot and chucked it his direction, hitting the chair he cowered behind. "BUT YOU ONLY TOOK MY ADVICE ONCE IT SUITED YOU! ONCE YOU REALIZED YOU WERE WRONG. ONCE YOU HAD KILLED OFF HALF OF YOUR CREW!"

He stood upright now. "ENOUGH WITH THE THROWING!" he cried as her other boot hit his left shoulder. "STOP IT!"

Rose stood there, her hair messy and no longer tied together, barefoot and panting, completely out of breath and out of things to throw.

"Fine, alright!" he said. "You were right all along. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Rose was astonished. "You truly have no remorse, do you? Do you even realize what I have lost because of your ignorance?"

"Listen to me," Jack said carefully, "What happened to Mr. McHenry was…regrettable. But it was a plan, nothing more. It went awry. These things happen."

"No, Jack. These things _don't_ happen when you ask your most trusted confidante on your bloody ship for her loyalty, and then you purposefully ignore her guidance until it suits you and is far too late." She couldn't stop the hot tears from pouring down her cheeks once more.

Jack put his hands up in surrender again. "I'm honestly not sad to see Mr. McHenry go. He was rather horrible to you."

"I could have changed him," she said sadly.

Jack took a deep breath and walked closer towards her. "People don't really change, love."

"Everyone has the capacity for change, Jack!" she snapped. "Even someone as selfish as you!"

He looked taken aback. "Oi, if you're not 'me first' in this world, then you are swindled. That's what being a pirate is all about."

"It's _always_ been 'you first.' That's why you never came back for me!"  
"What?"

Rose braced herself against his desk, looking up at him with an earnest grimace. "Why didn't you return to fetch me from Tia Dalma after the mutiny? After you were on your own?"

Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You've already asked me this and I've given you an answer. I—"  
"'—didn't want to fetch me until we could be reunited again on the _Pearl_ as you had promised.' Yes, I remember. That doesn't mean that I buy that line for a minute. Ben didn't, and neither do I."  
Jack only gave a frustrated sneer, neither confirming nor denying Rose's position on this troubling matter. So Rose continued, "I also don't believe that you would have come back for me once you _had_ the ship back. If Ben and I wouldn't have found our own way aboard, I'd still be in the bayou waiting for you."

"Oh come now…" Jack sighed.

"No! Admit that you never intended on coming back!"

"Fine!" he snapped. Rose raised her eyebrows in shock, which made him soften his tone as he explained, "Once I escaped that island Barbossa and the mutineers had left me on, I did think of you. But at the end of the day… Rose, you were a child. I needed experienced sailors who I wouldn't have to tend to or look out for. And I knew that in the bayou you'd be safe. That was enough for me."

Rose took a deep breath, trying to slow the pace of her heart, which felt flared in fury. "And what about when I was no longer a child, Jack? Ten years passed. Would you have come back for me after you vanquished Barbossa?"  
Jack took a moment, then ever so slightly shook his head no. "Not until the _Pearl_ was mine for good. At least."

Rose gave an incredulous smile. Even though she could never be happy about this truth, she was satisfied in that she now knew, and had heard enough. As she turned to leave his quarters, she tossed one more dig at him: "I should have listened to Ben."

Jack wasn't finished, however. This remark set him off. "Oh, and what, lived out your days with that skinless wonder?"

Rose spun on her heel. "How dare you," she warned.  
"Once a mutineer, always a mutineer, Rose. How could you forgive and forget? After how he betrayed you, betrayed me, and then continued to use you?"

"As I recall, you just allowed two of your former 'skinless wonders' aboard just minutes ago!"

"And I shall treat them with no less distrust than I showed McHenry."

Rose had never seen Jack this earnest and furious. It was a side of him that she had never seen before and was certain most people had also never seen. Deep down it frightened her. Then she suddenly realized something. "You sound just like Teague," she murmured.

The comparison to the father both Rose and Jack never truly had shook Jack to his core, and Rose could see it. She felt the slightest bit of remorse, but pushed those feelings from her heart, keeping the anger fresh and still-raging like an inferno.

Carefully, Jack spoke, keeping his voice as level as he could manage. "You're here now. There's no point in thinking on the past. Yes, I left you. No I didn't return, nor would I have until it was convenient for me. Ben _is_ dead, and will not ever return, and no, I can never mourn him because I did not condone his treatment of you." He extended his bandaged hand out to her, the same one marked with the black spot. "I need your help. There's no one I trust as much as you, you must know that."

But how _could_ she know that? After all of the many lies Jack had produced, how could she fully believe that when things got more problematic, and they were bound to given their current pursuit by Jones, that Jack wouldn't find some other way to discard her?

She looked down and gave a small nod, saying quietly before she left the room, "I will be going ashore with you. I too have some guidance to seek from Tia Dalma."


	44. Chapter 11 - Return of an Old Enemy

Rose emerged mere minutes later in her modified "Redhead" dress, having taking off and throwing overboard the clothes she had worn on the cannibal island; She wanted nothing more to do with that place, no reminder or trace in sight. Her newly fashioned belt with pistol, dagger, and herb pouch in tow hung taught around her waist and she had retrieved both of her boots. Her hair was once again tied up in its traditional fashion, and the brisk sea air played with the strands of hair that inevitably strayed from the mass. The sky was colored a pale blue on the eastern horizon as the sun prepared to surface.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of a longboat being lowered into the ocean. Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, and Gibbs were already aboard. Rose walked to the railing where Will and Jack stood. Will smiled at her. "You are looking better already," he said kindly.

Jack inserted himself between the two. "William, have you met my sister, Rose?" Not waiting for an answer, he proceeded. "Will, Rose. Rose, Will. Yes, it's interesting because Will is getting _married_ ," said Jack more to Will than Rose.

Will didn't break a glance with Jack, saying, "Aye, but without that compass, I won't be marrying anyone, will I?"

Jack was unfazed. "Well, without getting in the boat, you won't be getting _anything._ Hop-to, you."

Rose started to climb over the railing into one of the two boats. Jack grabbed her waist to aide her, though she flinched away from his touch. As soon as she was seated opposite Gibbs, Jack climbed into the other boat with another crewman and Cotton and sat at the front of the boat. Will climbed in Rose's boat and took a seat across from Rose.

The ropes connecting the boat to the ship were disconnected and the rowing proceeded, from which Will, Jack, Gibbs and Rose were exempted from.

"What's your name, poppet?" said the fellow next to her. She swallowed her disgust and answered back politely. "My name is Rose, Pintel."

Pintel looked slightly confused that she knew him, but after awhile, he put the pieces of what she had said together. "Oh-ho!" he called out, nudging his friend. "Ye hear that, Ragetti? It seems to be the Cap'n's lil' sister from all those years ago! Rose _Hexfury_ , as I recall."

Ragetti looked over at Rose. "Aye," he sneered. "I remember! She's the witch what stole me eye!" he said, pointing to the wooden eye which spun loosely in its socket.

"Tell me," she said to them, "Why were the two of you in pursuit of the _Black Pearl_ on that island?"

Pintel stuttered, taken aback by her frankness. "Well we...we..."

"You were thieves," she finished.

"No madam!" he cried defensively. "We committed no thievery! We were only—"

"Salvaging it!" chimed in Ragetti, to which Pintel gave him a harsh glare.

Rose leaned forward threateningly toward them threateningly, "Well, I wouldn't try your 'salvaging' again, lest we lose any more eyes, hmm?"

The men looked at each other in terror. "That's enough!" Jack called back to their boat as they rowed, though he gave Rose a slight, appreciative smile from the corner of his mouth when their eyes met.

The boats were now out of the gentle rocking of the sea and into the steady calm of the bayou waters. The sounds of seagulls were taken over by croaks, splashes, and gentle cooing. They passed the trail Angelica had led Rose down after leaving the first time that had led them to the town.

Over the course of their voyage, as they traveled deeper and deeper into the swampland, the bit Rose enjoyed the most was the expressions of those crew members new to the environment; Seeing the elevated shanties, hearing the gentle strumming of a banjo or the sudden trill of a child's laughter, as if out of nowhere.

Will finally broke the silence in the boat. "Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" he asked, looking to anyone in the boat who could provide an answer.

Gibbs spoke up. "Well if you believe such things, there's a beast that does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that will suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness. The Kraken." Rose raised her eyebrows upon hearing this. Jack must have finally let Gibbs in to the threat they now faced. "They say the stench of its breath is…" He shuddered at the thought. "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses." He took a moment to fully imagine these horrors, then said, "If you believe such things."

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asked.

"That's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit her."

"Her?" Will asked in confusion.

"Aye," replied Gibbs cryptically.

Rose was about ready to explain to Will who Tia Dalma was, but then realized that all would become clear to him in but a moment, as soon, Jack gave the signal to lift the oars and left the boat coast toward Tia's shack. It was exactly as she had left it. As they approached, Rose stood, eager to go in first. The boat hadn't even stopped at her dock when she leapt out. She ascended and passed her boa snake, ducking under the familiar trinkets hanging from the roof directly into the storage room where she knew she'd be. Sure enough, as Rose pushed through the beaded curtain, there was Tia Dalma, who spun around to greet her. Rose's grin disappeared however, when she saw Tia Dalma's shocked expression and stiff demeanor. She stood at an odd angle, and had her hands behind her, making her skirt appear fanned-out.

"Tia, what's going on?" Rose said.

"Ya do not come alone…"

Rose was uncertain if Tia's utterance was a question or a declarative statement, so she said in confusion, "Yes? Um…Jack has come with his crew. They seek advice of the supernatural—" Suddenly, Rose realized that she had jumped to into the middle of conversation. "Oh, I should start off by saying that I found Ja—"

"I know," quipped Tia Dalma.

 _Of course she knows,_ Rose reasoned. But this odd behavior from Tia was absolutely unheard of. She let her eyes focus on the objects behind Tia Dalma's skirt that she seemed to be trying to conceal. Before Tia shifted, further concealing this portion of the room, Rose saw caught a glimpse of it...boots, legs, a coat covering a man who was quietly breathing, and a face; A face Rose recognized as the first mate of her brother all those years ago.

 _Barbossa._ Rose's eyes went wide as she grabbed Tia's shoulders. "What is he DOING here? Alive?" Tia grasped her in return, "Hush!" she ordered, for they both heard footsteps on the deck. The crew was ascending. "You mustn't say a word!"

Footsteps closer still. Rose looked from Barbossa to Tia. This was so wrong. But Tia looked desperate for her discretion. "Alright," she finally whispered.

Tia breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to her table, bent over her collection of crab claws, whispering a sacred chant to them when the door opened and Jack entered. "Jack Sparrooooowww," Tia warmly welcomed him as he entered, followed by Will and the rest of the crew. Rose turned her attention toward Barbossa, asleep. No. Not asleep. His eyes were open, as though frozen, and dead, staring ahead into some horrible vision. His arms were folded across his chest and raised and lowered slowly with each horrible breath.

She looked at this man with hatred. Jack had killed him with his own bullet, he told her so himself. The Aztec curse was broken with Will's blood. How could he be alive? And why was Tia helping to bring him back? But something wasn't right...how could Barbossa look so... _restless_ as he rested? Perhaps this was "zombie-fication" that she had overheard Tia teaching to Anjelica a few years ago. But it seemed like he was fighting an incredible war with himself, like every passing moment was a struggle. His eyes vibrated rapidly from side to side. A part of Rose felt sorry for him, but another part of her thought, _I hope you feel all the anguish of hell, mutineer_. Suddenly, she heard a gunshot. She stood and walked toward the beaded curtain leading to the main room where the crew currently was lingering to see what had happened. Ah. An exhibition of Jack the Monkey's immortality. He brought Jack as payment for Tia's help. She grabbed the cage and released Jack, who came skittering over toward Barbossa, his master, sitting at his feet. Rose continued listening to Jack, the crew, and Tia converse.

"You know of Davy Jones, yes?" Tia was saying. "A man of the sea. A great sailor. Until he run afoul of what vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" asked Will.

Rose grimaced when she saw Tia turn her charm on Will. "What indeed?" she cooed, leaning towards him.

"The Sea?" Gibbs posited.

Pintel cried out, "Sums!"

"The dichotomy of good and evil!" shouted Ragetti.

Jack rolled his eyes. "A woman."

Rose cocked her head at this; How did Jack know so much about this story. She had never heard it before.

"A woman," Tia repeated. "He fell in love."

"No no no no. I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

Tia snapped, "Same story different versions, but all are true. But it was a woman as changing, and harsh and untamable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it caused him was too much to live wit. But not enough to cause him to die."

"What _exactly_ did he put into the chest?" asked Will.

Tia smiled. "Him heart."

"Literally or figuratively?" asked Ragetti.

Pintel scoffed. "He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest...could he?"

It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings. So, he carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide the chest from the worl'. The key, he keep with him at all times."

Rose then found herself deep in thought once more, looking back over Barbossa. Jack had never told her that it was Davy Jones's heart inside the chest. She began to wonder what Jack's true intentions with Jones's heart were; Would blackmailing him and convincing him to let Jack keep the _Pearl_ by threatening the heart really work, or did Jack have a more solidified plan in mind? Did Jack want to vanquish Jones for good? Either way, Rose was not pleased upon realizing the amount of secrets Jack had been keeping from her. _Well then,_ she thought. _If he can keep secrets from me, then I can keep a few of my own from him._

Tia then entered the back room. She made eye contact with Rose as she pushed through the beaded curtain, then began searching for something. "I have just the thing," she muttered. "Now where did I put it? My little beauty where are you? Such a long time in such a mess…" Suddenly, she found it. A jar of dirt that she triumphantly carried back into the main room.

"Davy Jones cannot make port," she explained. "Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow. And so you will carry land with you."

Jack took the jar and look skeptically at it. "Dirt. This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes." Tia agreed.

"Is the…jar of dirt going to help?"

"If you don't want it, give it back."

Jack suddenly narrowed his eyes and pulled the jar close to him. "No!"

Tia smiled. "Then it helps."

Will then politely intervened. "It seems…we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_."

At this point, Rose pushed through the curtain back into the main room. Tia was seated at her table, clutching her crab claws and announcing "A touch of _destiny_ ," whilst scattering them over the table. "You are to find a ship. Sail toward the setting of the sun and you find it soon. There, the key can be found."

"Excellent!" Jack said. "I'll just be taking my dirt and we'll be on our merry way then!" he approached Tia and kissed her hand regally.

"Don' forget aboud me, Jack," said she smiling playfully. Jack only gave a coy smile in response. He then turned as the crew began to file out, waiting until Will, the last one in the room, had gone. Tia too had left, as she had developed a strange infatuation with Will and walked him out of her home.

Alone, Jack looked to Rose, who just stood in the center of the room. He whistled to her. "Come, come," he said. "No time to lose."

She only looked directly at him, jaw tight with the tension of the secret she now held. No matter if she kept this secret between her and Tia Dalma or let it slip to Jack, she would be betraying one of them. But as she looked into his eyes, she could see that there was no secret at all; Jack knew. She waited for him to say anything, ask her about how Barbossa fared in the room adjacent to them, but he only stared expectantly at her.

Finally, Rose squeaked, "He's back. But clearly you already knew."

Jack nodded, lips pursed in silent defeat. "Aye. It was only a matter of time, really."

"I'm staying here," Rose then said carefully, though she didn't fully comprehend his meaning.

Jack's shoulders fell in defeat. "Rose…" he tried to reason.  
"I'll take care of it," she said, encoding the true intention of her statement, which was _I'll make sure Barbossa never comes back for revenge one way or another._

"You'll lose. There's no point in fighting this fight. Come back with us."

Rose tried to drain her voice of all bitterness as she said, "You said you weren't going to have me aboard until the _Pearl_ was entirely yours. I upset that plan."

"Rose—" Jack protested.

"No," she said gently. "Go. Get her back from Jones. Make her yours again and then come back for me. We'll assess from there.

Jack pondered this for a moment, then reached down to his belt, untying the her half of the pendant which they both carried. He placed it in her hand. "This one's yours," he said. "You're taking care of it now." Rose reached around her neck for his half to give back to him. "No," he said, stopping her progress. "Keep both. When I return for you, I'll get mine back, savvy?"

The siblings embraced once more and she followed him to the door and listened as he passed Tia once more on his way into the boats and ordered full speed ahead. Rose smiled as she heard Will ask, "Aren't you forgetting Rose?" to which Jack gave an inaudible answer as they sailed away.

Rose stayed in that spot until the little boat disappeared into the mist. She took a deep breath, having just experienced the very worst few days of her life— losing Ben, the sheer exhaustion of spending the day wondering if she was the last crew member still alive, the very fight to stay alive, finding a prison in the form of the ship she once adored, now discovering the one man she despised above all others being nursed back to life. Most of it felt like a distant nightmare she had once dreamt. But a sickening weight in the pit of her stomach knew this was no dream, but a godawful reality. Her brother was in great danger and she had no control over his fate.

"Find him, keep him safe," Tia's parting words to her only a few months ago had warned her. A part of Rose felt immense worry that by staying here, she would not be fulfilling the latter half of that prophecy. But when Rose thought of what danger laid inside, she knew what she had to do. Silently, she disappeared back into the shack while Tia's back was still turned.

Moments later, Tia returned back into the main room to see that Rose wasn't there. She walked to the back room and frozen when she saw Rose standing with a pillow inches above Barbossa's face, ready to smother what little life still remained in him.

"Tell me why he's here, or I _will_ kill him," Rose hissed.


	45. Chapter 12 - Powers Unknown

"Rose," Tia warned. "Put id down."

Rose only gripped the pillow tighter. "Not until you tell me why you brought Barbossa back. How did Jack know he was back? Explain!"

Tia took a deep breath. "Him be a Pirate Lord of da Seven Seas. Him must come back."

Rose furrowed her brow. _Pirate Lord._ She knew Jack was the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean, and she had head Sah Muhsine mention something about a Pirate Lord in Tripoli…but otherwise her knowledge on the matter was sparse. "Pirate Lord? Barbossa?" she asked.

Tia nodded. "Ammand, Chevalle, Ching, Jocard, Sao Feng, Angria, Villanueva, Barbossa, Sparrow."

"Sparrow?" Rose whispered. "What are they and why is Jack among them? Why Barbossa for that matter?"

As though hearing his own name, Barbossa at that moment began to convulse. His eyelids began to flutter over his still pulsating eyes, and his body began to tremble ferociously.

Tia rushed to his side, pushing Rose out of the way. She stood over him, her arms outstretched over his writhing form.

Rose's healer past took over in this moment, and she called out to her mentor, "Which herb?"

"Whad?"

"Which herb do I fetch?"

Tia looked at her gravely. "No herb can fix da dead." Rose then watched in awe as she saw Tia Dalma perform something she had never seen before. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her mouth opened wide. Words in a language Rose had never heard before emerged from her mouth, though her lips did not form them. It was like the voice was coming from somewhere deep inside of her. The chanting grew louder and more dissonant. Soon Tia's own arms began to tremble violently. A hazy, white light began to branch out from her palms, producing a sort of radiating energy. This stopped Barbossa's convulsions, and soon, Tia Dalma worked her hands further and further down towards Barbossa's chest until they ultimately made contact. Just then, his body jolted one final time, then Tia regained consciousness. The strange occurrence seemed to have drained her energy, and she almost fell backwards upon coming back into her body.

Rose rushed to her side to steady her, but Tia's gaze was already focused on Barbossa, whose eyes were now glazed over.

"No…" Tia whispered, checking his pulse. "No, no, no…"

After what felt like centuries, Barbossa's body finally took a staggered inhale of oxygen, and both women let out a sigh of relief. Tia continued checking Barbossa's pulse, then ran her hand down to his chest, where she quickly recoiled.

"Needle n' thread. Him wound opened back up."

Rose rushed to the sewing cabinet and procured the necessary items to stitch him up, as well as a knife, a basin of water and a cloth, and a chair for Tia to sit. Once seated, Tia extended her arms for the thread, but Rose protested. "No, I'll do it," she said. "Rest." She then rushed to Tia's cabinetry and found enough materials to make her some healing tea. Bringing that back to her, Rose then knelt at Barbossa's side and began to restitch the bullet hole where Jack had shot and killed him a little over a year ago.

Tia sipped on the tea, taking deep breaths as she began to calm down. Rose worked silently, giving the occasional glance over to her mentor. Finally, she asked, "Would you like to explain to me what just happened?"

Tia said nothing.

"Voo doo?" Rose asked.

"Nay," Tia finally replied. "None of dis be voo doo."

Rose looked to her in alarm. "All of this?" she asked, motioning to the room. "They call you the voo doo priestess of the bayou, Tia. What is this if not voo doo?

"Some," her mentor replied cryptically. "Some dis, some dat. Never all one thing. I be learnin' id all."

Rose had finished with the stitches by that time and had cut the thread. As calmly as she could, she placed her hands in her lap and plaintively asked, "What was that, Tia? What did you do to stop…whatever overcame Barbossa? I need to understand."

Tia took a deep breath and opened her mouth several times to speak, but said nothing. Finally, she decided upon, "The Pirad Lords have commanded da seas for many years. Nine of dem, one for each of da seas. Da most fearsome pirads from around the worl' convened under the order of Davy Jones. Togedda, using dem object of value, day bound da sea goddess Calypso so dat men could rule da sea for all time. Dey keep these items with dem at all times, and pass 'em to a successor before them die."

Rose suddenly began putting pieces of this story together with what she had just heard her tell Will and the crew. "The woman in the story. The woman who broke Jones's heart…it was Calypso, wasn't it?"

"Aye."

Rose sat closer by Tia's side and looked earnestly into her eyes. Her heart raced in anticipation of her next question as she asked, "Tia…are _you_ Calypso?"

Tia blinked. She returned her gaze, saying evenly, "No. I be but her servant. And for dat, Barbossa must live. As long as she be bound, dere must always be a Brethren Court."

Rose nodded in understanding, but quietly protested, "You do see how much danger this will cause for Jack, don't you?"

Tia shook her head sadly. "Dere be no odda way."

And so, with that, Rose resignedly began aiding Tia Dalma in helping to heal Barbossa. There were no further episodes like Tia's strange commune with a mystical realm, thankfully, but they now had to ensure that his body was nourished enough to maintain the healing process and that it wasn't receding back into its natural, lifeless form. Just two days later, his eyes had stopped pulsating and he was able to move and blink them, which greatly disturbed Rose. That afternoon, it was her turn to feed him a broth Tia had concocted, and she was not pleased about it in the slightest.

As she sat at his bedside, she saw his yellow eyes shift to her and narrow.

"Remember me?" she asked. "I'm Jack's sister. The one you left here all those years ago so you could mutiny against him." She poured a bit of the bowl down his throat, and as he swallowed, she saw his eyes glow with rage.

"And then you proceeded to kill Bill Turner," she continued. "And for what? Now my brother has his ship back, and you can't even eat on your own. You got what you deserved."

At this, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and noticed that Barbossa was tensing his right hand into a fist. Rose quickly poured the rest of the broth into his mouth and went to find Tia. He was getting stronger by the minute, and she knew it wouldn't be long before soon she could not longer have these very satisfying, one-sided conversations anymore.

* * *

Three more nights passed. Their patient could now move his jaw, but could not form words. His legs moved from the knee down and his arms moved from the forearm down, much to the glee of Jack the monkey who could now be pet once again by his master.

On the fourth night, Rose and Tia sat in the main room by the fireplace. Tia was running her fingers along the rounded chain of the silver music box locket that hung around her neck and was looking pensively into the flames. Rose too was lost in thought, but it was the same thought that had plagued her for a week now. She could no longer ruminate in these thoughts any longer and had to finally ask, "Tia?"

"Mm?"

She took a deep breath and leaned towards her. "When you foretold my destiny, you mentioned that I would marry a dead man."

"Mmm?" Tia croaked again in reply.

"I thought I knew who you meant… Benjamin McHenry, my childhood friend. We found each other again and...my feelings for him grew once more," Rose had to stop here temporarily, lest her tears begin anew. "He had been undead aboard the _Pearl_ , as he too had been cursed, so I figured that—"

"That he be da dead man," Tia finished, her eyes still fixated upon the hearth. "But id was not so. He be not da man I see."

Rose's heart ached. "Now he really _is_ dead. Devoured on a cannibal island. I've lost my friend forever."

She let her tears fall, and Tia took her hand sympathetically. "Him did not love you. Not like you be lovin' him still."

"I know," she said quietly. "I know you speak the truth but...I was so certain I could change him."

"Him is not da broken heart you will mend. Id be da udder man. Ye will fix him heart."

"The… _other_ dead man," Rose huffed. "I still don't know what you mean by that. I can't marry someone who's not alive!"

"You _will_ ," she insisted.

"Answer me this and I will ask no more," Rose whispered gravely. "Will he die when I am in love with him? I can not take it if it's true."

Tia shook her head. "Nay," she replied. "Ye will be broken too when he dies."

Rose's head fell. She had the promise of another love on her horizon, but she would ultimately lose him and be broken hearted. Why then did Tia promise great joy from this union? Rose vowed she would ask no more questions, though still her heart ached for absolution.

"Dat why ya be leavin' Jack an' him _Pearl_?" Tia asked. "Ben?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know anymore. I was upset with Jack, I was confused at all the many things he kept hidden from me, I was overwhelmed…and then I saw Barbossa and knew I had to do something about him. But I suppose Jack was right. There was no point in me staying here. Bringing Barbossa back was inevitable."

"When will you return ta him?"

Rose shook her head sadly. "I told Jack to free the _Pearl_ once and for all. No mutinies, no debts to Jones…once she was fully his, I told him to come back for me."

"Looks like you'll be waitin' a long time fer that day," a haggard voice growled behind them. Rose leapt to her feet and grabbed a nearby dagger in defense, then realized where the source of the sound was coming from.

"The _Black Pearl,_ " Barbossa sneered, leaning up against a door frame for support, "Shall be mine again."


	46. Chapter 13 - Secrets and Lies

The next day, Rose was once again on Barbossa's meal duty. Begrudgingly, she brought a bowl over to his cot in the side room and held it out to him. "Here."

Barbossa sneered at the meat inside the bowl. "What is it?"

"Food. Eat."

He glared up at her. "What sort of meat?"

Unfazed, Rose said in monotone. "Monkey. I finally couldn't take him anymore. Enjoy."

Barbossa's eyes flared in a equal parts shock and rage, and Rose rolled her eyes. "Bloody hell, it's pork. Eat it."

He pursed his lips and ruefully snatched the bowl from her. She crossed her arms and leaned against a nearby wall.

"Ya don't have to keep watch over me, Teague," Barbossa snapped.

"Oh but I do," she retorted. "I was given express orders to make sure that you eat the whole thing."

He merely grumbled something inaudible under his breath, then put the spoon to his mouth and gagged. The effects of the curse were still strong on its crew. For ten years, the men couldn't eat, sleep, or drink anything, and so, much like Ben, once these features were introduced back into their lives and they _had_ to sustain themselves, their bodies found it difficult to do so after the years of abuse and constant transformation.

"Can't eat?" Rose snorted. "Maybe you shouldn't have mutinied, then."

"And what would _you_ know of it? You've spent all of what, the past _year_ aboard the _Pearl?_ "

"I watched as Benjamin McHenry suffered the same as you suffer now."

Barbossa scoffed. "McHenry was a deserter, and you a fool."

"Perhaps, but at least we chose the winning side."

"Who's alive and who's dead, Teague? Look's like _I'm_ the victor!" he growled, forcing the meat down his own throat with great difficulty.

Rose was seething. "What exactly do you think you're going to do once you can walk again?"

"Already told ya, lass," he quipped. "I'll be taking back what be rightfully mine."

"And how will you do that without a ship and a crew?"

Barbossa put the bowl down and looked up at her. "Ye…ye haven't…?" When he saw that she had no idea what he was referring to, he raised his eyebrows and returned his attention back to the bowl. "Hmm. Interestin'."

"If you honestly think I'm going to let you just walk up and steal the _Pearl_ back from my brother…"

"Oh I _know_ ye will, dear," he interrupted condescendingly. "And believe me, it won't be stealin'."

Just then, Tia entered through the beaded curtain.

"Perfect timing," Rose said through gritted teeth. "Tia, kindly remove all sharp objects from this room before I kill your patient and you have to bring him back to earth a second time!"

"Heyyyy…" Tia said warningly. "Take a moment away fer a time," she suggested. She then instructed for Rose to take several crates of items that she had just traded for medical supplies and charms amongst some islanders upstairs in the storage room. Rose happily obliged, eager to be away from the infuriating man who was tormenting her with his snide comments.

Rose sneered upon finding a bushel of green apples that were among the cargo Tia had traded. She had heard Barbossa request these from Tia, but couldn't believe that she delivered on this demand. She loaded crate by crate upstairs, and just out of spite, hid the apples behind a guinea sack, halfway hoping they'd rot before Barbossa ever found them.

Having completed this task, Rose descended the stairs and made her way closer towards the room to ask Tia if there was anything else she could help with. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, once she heard Tia Dalma say with her voice lowered, "I seen da one whose heart will replace Jones. Ya must help me."

Rose quickly scurried behind a boudoir and kept her eyes focused upon the doorway through the beaded curtain as she continued to listen. She saw Barbossa limp to and fro across the room, trying to fully regain his ability to walk once more.

"What's in it fer me?" he asked in response.

"Your life," Tia replied. "Dat not be enough?"

Barbossa stopped, turning to her with a sly grin. "You need me, don't forget. I be needin' a bit more persuasion than that."

Tia rose and walked slowly towards him. She then grew extremely close to him and wrapped her arm around his neck, smiling seductively. Rose recoiled in horror and was prepared to look away, when Tia all of a sudden laid a hand on the side of Barbossa's face. Her expression changed, and suddenly, the entire left side of his face transformed back into a the half-rotted skull from his cursed days. "Does dat persuade ya?" Barbossa leapt away from her in horror and wildly ran his hand all over his face once it had transformed back into flesh once more.

Barbossa pursed his lips and finally conceded. "Very well. We have an accord." He began to pace the room again as he said, "It's all as well, I s'pose. Jones will die, Jack will take the _Flying Dutchman,_ leaving me room to take the _Black Pearl."_

Tia just stood there in the middle of the room, her eyes following him as he walked. "Ya know I can't be promisin' you Jack's ship. Da song will sung soon enough, n' nuddin' will be as it once was."

"Surely not," Barbossa corroborated. "And we have a years-long journey ahead of us yet, I am certain of it. When does this all begin?"

 _"_ By da light of the next moon," Tia replied.

"Aye. Then there's no time to lose."

They then retreated into the back room out of Rose's earshot, and it was probably for the best; Rose's head was spinning from all she had just learned. Tia and Barbossa were making a secret pact behind her back. There was some alternate reason why Tia brought him back from the dead. Was Jack really going to take Jones's place as Captain of the _Flying Dutchman?_ And what was this song they spoke of?

Rose had a long, restless night ahead of her as her mind toiled through all of her unanswered questions. But little did she realize that the worst was yet to come, "by the light of the next moon."


	47. Chapter 14 - Fallen Sparrow

The following night was a warm and soundless one in the bayou. Rose had had a rather nice day. Barbossa, seemingly fully recovered, had spent the entire day upstairs in the storage room pouring over charts, which allowed Rose time to herself. She helped out around the shack with various odd jobs until Tia had her begin work on making a large pot full of a drink Rose had never heard of. It was a bizarre mixture of rum, fruit juices, and rose tea, and she was instructed to make enough to fill the largest pot in the shack. _She must be expecting company,_ Rose rationalized as she brewed the mixture. As she finished up and began preparing various cups and bowls to serve the brewed drink in, she heard a strange rhythm coming from outside and went to investigate.

Tia stood at the front doorway, her eyes distant. Rose went to stand next to her in order to see what she was looking at. There, in the waist-high water were about fifty local people with candles in hand, humming to a steady drumbeat produced by one of the chieftains in a nearby cabin.

Rose cocked her head to one side. "A funeral procession? Who passed on? Anyone we know?"

Tia waved off her question instantly. Rose knew something was extremely wrong. After about five minutes of waiting for something different to happen in the crowd, she grew impatient and sat down on the corner of Tia's desk. There she waited. And waited. Until the humming grew louder. And louder. And louder still. She rose to her feet and went to look outside once more, but Tia spun around to stop her before proceeding onward. She put her hands on Rose's shoulders, stopping her motion entirely. "Rose," she said, her voice hardly above an excited whisper. "For whad we want most, there is a price dat must be paid in de end."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Tia, stop talking in riddles." She tried to sidestep her, but Tia's grip on her shoulders only increased. "Ye must be brave, Rose. Have faith."

Just then, Rose saw movement behind Tia's head. To her great astonishment…it was Joshamee Gibbs!

"Gibbs!" Rose cried, prying herself free from Tia's grasp, rushing to him. "Back so soon!"

But Gibbs only pursed his lips and let out an exhausted sigh. He wouldn't look into Rose's eyes. She would have inquired about this, had it not been for Cotton, Marty, Pintel, and Ragetti's sudden appearance as well.

"How nice it is to see all of you so soon!" Rose said merrily to them, but the lot of them were just as unresponsive as Gibbs. They just stood in the doorway awkwardly until Tia invited them to make themselves comfortable. Suddenly, an unmistakeable feeling of dread spread through Rose as she read the misery possessed by everyone in the room.

Will then entered, followed by a woman Rose did not know. No…she _did_ know her, just never as she looked now. Her hair had turned yellow from many days of direct sunlight, her skin was tanned and dirty and her eyes full of tears. This was Elizabeth Swann, the woman who had leapt out of the moving carriage that had nearly run over Rose on Port Royal, the woman Will was going to marry. Tia walked briskly past Rose and led Elizabeth to a seat in the room. Rose followed this action briefly, and then looked to Will.

"Will? What's happened?" she asked. If there was anyone she knew would be direct with her, it was Will. But even he was at a loss for the right words for Rose. But this did not stop her from pressing him for details. "What is going on, why isn't anyone _speaking_?"

Then it hit her. Someone wasn't among them. Rose rushed to the doorway, leaning around the edge of the balcony to see if Jack was on his way up, but he was nowhere to be found. His crew just sat there in silence, until Rose, in disbelief, asked, "Where's Jack?"

When still no response came, panic rose up inside her. "Where is he?" she said sharply. Tia walked up behind her to give her a reassuring touch, but she pulled away from her grasp. 'No! No, I just want to know where my half-brother is!"

Silence still. Aghast, Rose nearly shouted. "Do any of you hear me? I asked you a _question!_ ANSWER ME!"

Will finally had the courage to approach her, eyes sorrowful. "Rose, please try to understand what I am about to tell you." He put his hands on her wrists.

But Rose already knew what news he would bring. Deep down, she knew it from the moment she saw Gibbs's expression towards her upon entering. All the air left her body and her world began to spin. She pulled away from Will and covered her face with her hands. "No!" she cried. _How can this happen? He was my only family. How can this happen?_

Will laid a firm hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. "How?" she managed to ask, with quivering lips.

This time Gibbs answered. "Kraken. The bloody creature attacked, and he let us escape, while…"

"RAAAAW! Captain goes down with his ship." Cotton's parrot finished. Gibbs nodded. "Yes, that."

Rose couldn't contain her anger and sadness. She moved to retreat back up the stairs and into the privacy of her room, but Tia stopped her by grabbing her wrist as she passed. Hot tears poured down her face as Rose turned on her mentor. "You knew the whole time, didn't you? Why couldn't you just tell me that this was going to happen?"

Tia's face was sorrowful, but she wisely said nothing. No words could possibly cure Rose's broken heart. She watched as Rose ripped her arm free and rushed up the stairs, slamming the door of her room behind her. Tia then quietly retreated back into her supply room to serve the brew to help the crew cope with their grief. She knew exactly what had to come next, and Rose was not a part of the plan. Though it hurt her to see the girl she raised in such pain, there were more important matters than one girl's heart to attend to.

Rose fell to the ground upon entering her room, where her sobs overtook her. Already a huge void was present in her heart that Jack had once filled. The indestructible figure, the epitome of good fortune and invincibility was gone.

But Rose could not be alone with her grief, for a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Do ye mind?" Barbossa asked, standing near the window. "I can't hear what's goin' on downstairs with yer dramatics."

Rose was in disbelief and rapidly filling with rage at Barbossa's cruelty. Voice shaking, she hissed, "Do _I_ mind? My brother is—"

"Dead? Yes, yes, I knew all that."

Rose stood, wiping her face though the tears continued to fall. "You knew nothing! You simply overheard what happened just a moment ago."

"Well," he corrected. "Yer not _wrong,_ but I've known this was goin' to happen for days now."

"So Tia really did know the whole time..." Rose realized.

"SHH!" Barbossa hushed her, holding up a black-nailed finger toward her and leaning closer to the window. After a moment, he shook his head and looked back toward her. "Yes, she did."

Rose still was baffled as to why Barbossa cared what was being said beneath where they stood. "What are you doing?"

"I'm waitin' for me entrance, what does it look like?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "My god, just go down there and let me _be in peace!_ "

Barbossa tossed aside her plea with a dismissive wave of the hand leaned closer to the window, listening again as a finger tapped against a green apple he held in his palm. Rose began to put it together. "Wait a moment," she said, "Your entrance! This was all planned. Tia knew Jack was going to die all along, so she brought you back to take his place!"

Barbossa considered this. "Eh. Yer close enough."

"You both knew this whole time and said NOTHING to me! Why?"

Barbossa gave a sidelong glance at Rose. "Look at yerself, dearie. _That's_ why."

Rose was livid. "So I'm not allowed to grieve for my _brother?_ I have no other family, don't you understand?"

He sneered and put his full attention on Rose. "Why was I saved, ya ask? Think, Miss Teague! Tia Dalma wasn't just on a generous streak, no! I am the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea. Jack's the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean!"

Rose could feel her pulse echo in her ears. She didn't understand what he was saying; were they to go find Jack's body and bring him back just as Barbossa was? If he was devoured by the Kraken, wouldn't this be rendered an impossibility?

In the silence that followed, Rose and Barbossa heard Tia's voice coo from downstairs. "Den, ya need a Captain who knows dose waters."

Barbossa's eyes gleamed as he left the room. Rose watched as he descended, taking his time to build anticipation for his big reveal. This would be the moment that all of his former enemies would realize that he was no longer deceased. Rose, tears still clinging to her cheeks, froze in horror, realizing that it was now Barbossa, one of her foremost enemies, who now had Jack's future in his hands.

"So tell me," he said with a smirk, "What's become of my ship?"


	48. Chapter 15 - After the Storm

The room was aflutter with noise. Everyone had started talking at once. "How?" "I saw you dead." "Murderous wretch!" "When did this happen?"

Barbosa merely kept his smug grin on his face as he descended the stairs. Rose followed, her neck still tight with tears she could not shed. Not yet. She had already showed the majority of these people her weakness. Now it was time they see the capabilities of her wrath.

Will was the first voice to break from the constant utterance of confusion. "I killed you," he announced. "My blood and Jack's bullet killed you."

The normally verbose and riotous Barbossa stayed entirely still, staring directly at Will, which somehow made him angrier.

"I brought 'im back," Tia piped up, feeling the tension in the room. "Me an' Rose."

Of course. She _had_ to rope Rose in with her scheme. Rose didn't even have the care in her heart to fight back even though she felt all of their eyes on her. She could hear their unspoken questions. _Why Rose, after all he did to Jack?_

Will _did_ approach her and gently muttered, "So that's why you didn't come back with us. He's the reason."

Rose didn't even look at him. She instead kept focused dead ahead at a smudge on the farthest wall. Blankly, she said to Tia, "Tell them _why_."

The heat of their eyes left her and swept to Tia. "Barbossa could not be left ta die," she explained. "He is one of de pirad lords, and his piece of eight was not passed to an heir."

"Pirate lords?" Elizabeth asked. "What is a pirate lord?"

That was when Rose left. She didn't actually move anywhere. She stayed exactly where she was, staring at the dark spot on Tia's wall. It was a piece of the grain in the wood. With her eyes she traced its shape. _Curve._ They were probably at this point explaining about the onset of the pirate code, written and maintained by Captains Morgan and Bartholomew. _Jagged edge._ Barbossa had probably drawn Tia's chair and explained the nine pieces of eight and the nine pirate lords that governed nine bodies of water around the world. _Point._ Someone had probably asked about the logistics of Barbossa's revival, and Tia had responded with a less than helpful response. _Seamless turn._ The plan was about to be announced, just as Barbossa had so gruffly barked at Rose, "Why was I saved, ya ask? Think, Miss Teague! Tia wasn't just on a generous streak, no! I am the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea. Jack's the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean!" _Bulbous contour._ A journey at world's end to find him. The plan to travel into the Locker. Jones had Jack's body and soul, while Barbossa died on land, his body retrievable and his soul not held captive by Jones. _Sharp angle._ The pirate lord Sao Feng has the charts to the locker in his possession. Singapore. _Corner_. _Everyone I love dies._ Mother. Ben. Jack. _Rough edge._ It wasn't Jones. It wasn't the Kraken. It's _you._ You did this. _Splintered border_. Get away from them before you hurt someone else. _Point._ You live a cursed existence. _Rough._ "Rose?" She hears Mama say. _Darkness._ "Rose," Ben whispers. _Emptiness._ "Rose!" Jack yells.

"Rose!" Tia cried, stirring her from her trance.

Rose glanced in their direction. The heat of their eyes was on her again. All of them were circled around Tia's table where Barbossa sat, pointing to a map. "Ye best be listening to the plan, as this involves you."

Rose gave a half-hearted nod and slowly approached the rest.

Barbossa continued, "Now, once we arrive in Singapore, Gibbs will lead a party through the sewers. Meanwhile, Rose and Master Turner will keep together in a boat that will leave first, Master Gibbs."

"Aye... _Captain_ ," Gibbs replied with just the slightest sense of hesitancy. It was at this reaction that Rose stopped to examine how the crew seemed to be handling this sudden reappearance and call to action. They looked responsive, but still shocked.

"Why Will and Rose?" Elizabeth quietly asked from somewhere in the rear of the room.

Rose found herself in agreement with her. "Yes, why just us?"

"If I know Sao Feng at all, I know his charts are hidden somewhere sacred, most likely a temple," Barbossa explained. "We will be needing a thief," he said, motioning to Will, who merely nodded in response, "And a decoy." He pointed to Rose.

She narrowed her eyes. "Decoy?"

He looked as though he was about to lose his patience as he rapped his blackened nails on Tia's table. "We will use our lovely ladies as decoys."

"See, there we are with that word again," Rose snapped. She felt anger boiling in her core again. " _Decoy._ You make it sound as though you want to brush us under the rug and let the men do the work. And beg your pardon, but I never agreed to undertake this mission!"

He was standing before she was finished, towering over her. "And tell me, Miss Teague, what choice do ya have?"

The words shook her. Her mind started racing. Her initial answer to his question was defensive, but as no convincing answer as to where she would go from there surfaced, a sudden hollow feeling of loneliness washed over her.

"And I'll appreciate your silent cooperation, _mademoiselle,_ " he mocked with smug pleasure.

She took pleasure in replying to him with the same smugness. " I can stay here in the bayou."

"Then you'll be stayin' here on yer own," he growled, collapsing back into the chair.

Her eyes flew to Tia, who was avoiding eye contact. "Ah yes, so you are to be a decoy as well?" she spat.

"All three of you are," Barbossa answered for her. "You are the first part. No offense to you, Miss Swann," he said to Elizabeth, "But you are too...proper to make a convincing woman of the night."

"WOMAN OF THE NIGHT?" Rose yelled. "And you are suggesting that I _do_?"

"We've planted her once before as a lady for sale, Capt'n," Marty added. Rose shot a look at him and he dared not add any more details.

Barbossa was now addressing Will as he looked at Rose. "Boot black in the hair, powder to lighten the skin, that eye kohl her brother was so fond of, and some local attire. She'll blend in fine."

Rose set her jaw and just glared at Barbossa until he finally acknowledged her. "Let's not pout, Rose. If ya haven't noticed, we're severely outnumbered."

"That isn't it," she snapped. "You are neglecting two hitches in your expert plan. First, what happens if I have a paying customer? Second, how can I possibly be a woman of the night and a successful decoy if I am blind to the night?"

She expected a stunned silence, but Barbossa was quick on his feet. "There are no hitches," he smirked. "Will, you will ensure she be hooded and provided with a fan to cover her face." Will silently nodded in understanding. He continued, "Yer hindrance should not be noticeable unless you make it so."

Rose frowned. "And if my customer is insistent?"

"You'll have a weapon, Rose," responded Will firmly, but gently. It was clear he wanted this night to end more than anyone in the room just from his eyes alone.

"Mister Turner's right," said Barbossa. "You're a big girl Rose. Act it. Now as for your other concern, you will not need your eyes the night Will takes the charts. Stay stationed," he said, pointing to the coastline along eastern Singapore, "Right here by the docks. When the rest of us arrive, we will wait for your word that Will has the charts and is waiting in hiding for our party to board a ship. Meanwhile, Miss Swann, you will take a boat along this river. Make no efforts to blend in. The rest of us will wait on the opposite bank, which is mere minutes from Sao Feng's most popular haunt. You're appearance should attract his men, which will gain us access to speak with him and ask for a ship and a crew..."

That was when Rose stopped listening again. She recalled helping to move chairs and create makeshift beds for the crew. She only barely remembered slight interactions as she moved. Tia's guilty expression, Barbossa's annoyance, Marty saying hopefully, "We're gonna get 'im back, Rose! Don't you worry," Will's uncharacteristic coldness… and a chorus of the words that rang in her ears— _We depart at dawn._

Elizabeth was to take Angelica's old bed in the same room where Rose slept, and while she usually wouldn't mind this, she wanted nothing more than to be alone this night. She walked back up the stairs as though in a dream. As she began to extinguish the candles one by one in her room, she heard Elizabeth speak to her alone for the first time. In a hoarse voice, she whispered, "I'm so sorry." Rose looked over and saw that a steady stream of tears were running down her face, and this struck her as odd. Even Rose hadn't cried in nearly two hours since first discovering Jack's fate. She was numb, more than anything else. Rose nodded, then extinguished the last flame. She made her way by touch back to her hammock and settled down, feeling her own stream of tears begin once more. The last thing she remembered was the sound of Elizabeth quietly sobbing a few meters away. Rose found herself evermore confused as to this passionate response to her brother's death, but she soon fell back into her own disturbed mind. This was not her life to live. It had never been her life to live. She was not even a participant in her own story. She was a pawn to be moved, a tool to fix a problem, a curse to damn the innocent.


	49. Chapter 16 - Back to the Wreck

Rose was still in disbelief as she boarded the longboat and sailed out of the bayou. Gibbs and Marty sat the front, directing Pintel and Ragetti through the swamp, but Rose knew that they alone could not man the boat once out to the sea once more. She had made this trip to Shipwreck Island once before with Angelica upon leaving the bayou not long ago, so she knew what lay ahead for them. Now with three more passengers than she arrived with and a full crate of provisions, the boat was low to the water and slow moving, and could not possibly push back against the open ocean. As the daylight began to break through the thick foliage and Rose regained her eyesight, she looked at the floor of the boat and found two more oars. Will saw her see them and anticipated her actions, grabbing the other oar. Together they shifted so that they sat in front of Pintel and Ragetti and began to row in sync with them. Cotton meanwhile manned the rudder, where Barbossa, Tia Dalma, and Elizabeth sat.

Rose's eyes travelled over them all. Tia Dalma must not have been out of the bayou in years, for she had to shield her eyes from the sunlight as it hit them. Now on the sea, she reached her hand out of the boat, letting her fingertips brush against the blue ocean and breathing a sigh of relief. Rose seethed at her bliss; How dare she seem so carefree despite the pain that had just occurred. Elizabeth was still bereft, staring vacantly ahead. Upon regarding her, it finally occurred to Rose that this was _Elizabeth,_ the long sought after love that Will had spoken so fondly of. She turned to look at him, who was rowing in stride with her, but from his expression, one would never know that he or Elizabeth had even _met_ before, let alone were affianced. Something serious had clearly transpired between them both, but Rose was wise enough to keep her questions to herself for the time being.

Finally, Barbossa. His face was somber and unflinching as Jack the monkey chattered away on his shoulder, struggling for balance as the boat cut through the waves. He took a deep breath of the sea air and he seemed to sit up straighter, further invigorated by the adventure that awaited them.

This must have been why after asserting his leadership through his detailed plans the night before, he then began to show his true colors. He looked ahead and eyed up will, giving a slight smirk. "Besides ya killin' me, Master Turner," he growled, "I don't believe we've properly met."

Will said nothing, glaring at him as his continued to row.

Barbossa kept it up, however. "Was it worth it in the end, boy? For here I am, alive and breathing."

"…which I didn't know was possible," Will said under his breath, clearly directed at Rose.

Rose deflected his rage right back at Tia Dalma, however, quipping, "Neither did I." Tia pretended not to hear her.

Barbossa was only energized by Will's fury, and continued to feed off of it. "Is that spite I hear laced in yer voice, boy?"

Will snapped at this. "Aye," he spat.

"'Aye," what?"

"Aye, it _was_ worth killing you, despite not for good. Do you know why?" Barbossa only raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Will continued, "Because you too killed a man, but not for good. My father lives a hellish existence on the _Flying Dutchman_ because of _you._ "

Rose looked over at him as he said this. So Will must have been aboard Jones's ship, then.

"Is he?" Barbossa said with a wry grin. "And to think; I _could_ have killed you all along before reachin' that blasted island after all."

The boat fell quiet again, and the only sounds were of the smacking of the oars against the sea. After a time, though, Barbossa then turned to Elizabeth. "And _you_ certainly be lookin' different, Miss _Turner,_ " he said pointedly. Ah yes. Rose had nearly forgotten that to protect her identity, Elizabeth had taken Will's last name upon being captured by the _Pearl_ from Port Royal. It wasn't until discovering that Elizabeth's blood did not break the curse as she was not a Turner that she was able to make her escape.

Elizabeth was not in the mood to fight, and merely averted her eyes down to the floor of the boat. Barbossa moved on from antagonizing her, and looked over the people before him. "A sorry lot if I've ever seen one," he remarked, "A mute, a dwarf, Jack's loyal pup, my two former imbeciles, a Turner, a false Turner, an obeah woman, and a more irksome version of Sparrow. I s'pose you'll have to do."

Rose sneered. "We _will_ have to do, as we're all you have!" All eyes in the boat turned to her. "Although I don't see how there is any chance of us being successful. What—the ten of us are going to shanghai a ship singlehandedly strong enough to sail below the southern continent, one of the most treacherous places on earth, and on to Singapore to seek out some magical map that will lead us to Davy Jones's Locker?" She looked around at everyone aboard, ceasing her rowing. "You _do_ hear how absurd this all sounds, don't you?" No one said anything, perhaps silently agreeing with her. Their odds were not good, but still they were risking their own lives for a cause Rose thought impossible to recover. "My brother is dead," she said, her lip quivering. "Jones killed him. I don't care what strength Will has, what commands Barbossa has, or what…prophecies _she_ keeps," she said, gesturing to Tia, "We cannot change that much ourselves. He's gone." Then, quieter, she mumbled, "Like so much else. Gone."

Barbossa broke the silence that followed by clapping his hands slowly together, as though sarcastically applauding a performance. He then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared with his yellowed eyes at her. "Whereas many of ye be unfamiliar to me, _this_ one," he said, pointing a blackened fingernail toward her, "I know all too well. Let me be perfectly clear," he announced to the boat, which had at that time stopped its motion forward once all four rowers had ceased their synchronous movement. "I am not Jack Sparrow. And while most anyone with a thinking brain would think that ta be a good thing, there are those aboard who would cross me." He stared directly at Rose as he said this. "And to those people, I would recommend that they turn back now."

Would that it were that simple. Rose would leap off the side of the boat and swim for shore that moment, but where would she go? She was furious at her night blindness, the only thing keeping her from being entirely independent from anyone else. With no one to turn to, she was stuck here, on whatever voyage was in store. So she only sat straighter, her jaw set in defiance.

"No takers?" Barbossa jeered. "Fine. Then we row on. With me as your captain, understood?"

"Aye, Captain," his nine crewman said listlessly in reply.

* * *

 _"_ _The King and his men stole the Queen from her bed…"_

Tia Dalma had been singing the same song over and over again into the palm of her right hand for the past half hour.

 _"_ _And bound her in her bones…"_

"D'ya reckon ye can stop 'er?" Pintel whispered to Rose by leaning forward as they continued rowing. "She's been goin' on like that for ages!"

Rose pursed her lips. "Doubt it," she replied in monotone. "Learn to let her be. She's full of all sorts of secrets that have no explanation whatsoever."

Tia looked up at Rose and stared at her as she sang, " _The seas be ours and by the powers…"_

 _"_ Land ho, Cap'n!" Gibbs cried out.

The rowers stopped briefly to turn around and see the looming Shipwreck Island stand majestically in the distance.

Tia grinned through her blackened teeth. _"Where we will, we'll roam._ "

"Is that Shipwreck?" Elizabeth asked.

"Aye," replied Barbossa.

"…any particular reason why?" she tentatively asked. A valid question, seeing as the crew had just fled a shipwreck of their own not but a day previous.

"Reefs. And there's a pretty treacherous cove on the inside."

"Aye," concurred Gibbs from the front bow of the boat. "Tis a pirate island, and has been for the better part of a century. Legend tells that the wrecks got to be so bad, incoming ships were blocked from gettin' anywhere near the docks. So, the townsfolk dug up the wreckage and tossed it aside in the middle of the cove this island protects. That's where Shipwreck Cove sits."

 _"_ _Yo Ho, haul together…"_ Tia croaked.

"Shipwreck Cove?" Elizabeth asked quizzically. "The uncharted pirate fortress? I only heard of it in storybooks."

Barbossa and Tia Dalma shared a glance. "Nay," he carefully replied. "Much more than stories. True it be that the island remains uncharted, and the Cove remains a meeting place for the Brethren Court."

"But," asked Elizabeth, "The Brethren Court only convenes for important matters. What is the Cove used for when the Court is not in session?"

 _"_ _Hoist the colours high…"_

"Ask Rose. Her father be the Keeper of the Pirate Code there," Barbossa quipped.

Will and Elizabeth spun to face Rose expectantly. Her face flushed with anger. "You know as well as I, _Captain,_ that I know not my father's doings. As far as I've heard, the Cove remains empty until the Court is convened."

 _"_ _Heave Ho, thieves and beggars…"_

"And how do nine Pirate Lords from all over the world know to convene at once?" Will asked.

Barbossa glanced over his shoulder at Tia Dalma. She grinned, singing for the last time, " _Never say we die."_ She then opened her hand to reveal two silver pieces of eight. She handed one to Barbossa wordlessly and kept the other one.

"We be ready," she said.

They soon came upon the docks to the town of Shipwreck, secured the boat and made their way into town. Rose had only seen the town very briefly the last time she was here, and she and Angelica had docked after sunset when her vision began to recede. She notes the dozen buildings that encircled the town square, and the people coming and going between them. It occurred to her that this place was a slightly tamer equivalent to Tortuga, but she quickly shook that thought from her mind as it reminded her of happier times she could never get back.

There stood market vendors selling their wares, a few drunkards milling about here and there, and a few residents conversing here. One could have even mistaken this place for Port Royal had it not been for the fact that no one here paid the ragtag pirate crew just arriving from the bayou any mind whatsoever.

A group of children ran past them, engaged in some sort of game. As one of the older boys passed, Tia Dalma reached her arm out. The boy stopped instantly as though in some sort of trance, looking over at her. She grinned at him and tossed the other piece of eight in his direction, which he caught and touched gingerly. He then held the piece up to one ear. Rose then watched him pocket the piece and run away to rejoin his friends as though nothing had transpired, and she was in a complete bewilderment. Barbossa was looking expectantly at Tia, who nodded to him, saying, "Id be ready ta begin."

"When?" Barbossa asked in response.

"Soon."

Satisfied with this cryptic response, the group continued their stroll through town. "Where are we going?" Rose called up to Barbossa from the back of the group. _Please don't say the tavern,_ she silently prayed.

As though reading her mind, he called back in response, "The tavern!"

Rose felt her heart drop. It had been less than two weeks since Ben's death, and even though he had used her again and again for his own gains and never had returned the affection she had for him, the pain was still fresh, especially in the wake of Jack's death.

"Master Turner," Barbossa commanded, "I want ya with me as we market ourselves to any passin' captains who might be in need of a crew." Will nodded at this and fell in step behind him. Barbossa then turned and addressed the remainder of the crew. "The rest of ye, stay out of sight and don't cause no trouble."

They let Will and Barbossa walk ahead, then followed shortly thereafter. Rose's eyes immediately went to the barstool where Ben had sat, and she froze in place. The barstool that Angelica had tossed her into. The barstool where Rose's love for her childhood friend blossomed anew…only for it to die within a year.

Gibbs noticed that Rose was visibly distraught, and asked quietly, "Rose? Ya alright?"

Tia began to answer for her. "Dis be da place—"

"Don't," spat Rose. She turned an icy gaze upon Tia. "You don't get to say a word." She looked back at Gibbs. "I'm fine," she lied, then walked on to join the rest of the crew at a nearby table. She sat removed from them, brooding in her own tumultuous feelings of despair, grief, and fury.

Before she knew it, Will and Barbossa had returned, the latter with a triumphant grin. "Gentlemen, ladies, we depart with the dawn."

"RAW! Ready to make sail!" Cotton's parrot chirped.

"Wait, how?" Elizabeth asked, rising from her seat.

"With a bit o' persuasion from yers truly," he smugly replied. "We'll be serving as deckhands aboard the ship of Captain Frees aboard the _Siren Song_."

Rose furrowed her brow. "Wait, _all_ of us?"

"Yes," he quipped. "Unless ye have decided to do us all a favor and not come along."

Rose rolled her eyes. "No, I just am shocked that _you_ of all people to be less than a captain. You? A deckhand?"

Barbossa walked a few paces towards her and grinned. "Not for long," he growled.


	50. Chapter 17 - Life at Sea

The _Siren Song_ was a pirate galleon painted bright red, and was quite a sight to behold. The plan, as Barbossa had told them, was for the crew to board and follow orders as commanded by their new leader, Captain Frees. Frees was making his way southward in search of jumping rum smugglers on their way back from the southern continent. This was exactly the direction the Jack rescue party needed to go, as they needed to travel around the southern tip this land mass in order to head back north towards Singapore. They were to remain under Frees's command until Barbossa felt the time was right to act. Rose felt rather unsettled at the fact that her and the rest of the crew's fate lay in the hands of Barbossa and Barbossa alone, and she could tell the others felt the same. But they had no choice but to follow his lead, and so there they were, making their way up the gangplank of a foreign vessel.

As they crested the deck, a tall man with long hair placed a hand forcefully on Barbossa's chest, stopping their progress. Rose could see Barbossa's eyes flare with rage at being so forcefully handled, and could tell that it was taking every ounce of willpower to keep from cutting this man down right then and there.

"Hey, you lot," the man sneered. "Just where d'ya think you're goin'?"

"Stand down, ya bloomin' cockroach!" yelled another man. "These be the new recruits," said he. He had a hard, weather worn face and a dark, black beard. He wore a large black hat with a Jolly Roger insignia printed atop it and a red coat that almost matched the rest of his ship. "Greetin's, Barbossa."

"Cap'n Frees!" Barbossa greeted, taking off his hat and giving an elaborate bow. With a frantic flip of his wrist, he motioned for the others to do the same. They all bowed their heads, except for Rose who kept staring defiantly ahead. Upon rising, Barbossa began introductions. "I'd like ya to meet my colleagues. Master Gibbs, a smart gent with a keen eye for navigation. Cotton, a mute, but a natural on the wheel. Ya need a gunner? Marty's your man. Masters Pintel and Ragetti, strong deckhands and valiant fighters. And young Master Turner, well…don't let his fair looks deceive ya. He be the strongest of 'em all, I assure ya."

They all waited for Barbossa to continue, but he stopped introductions there. It was then that Rose, Elizabeth and Tia Dalma all exchanged a glance. They were standing behind the men, and were therefore hidden from view, but it hadn't occurred to them up until then that Barbossa had arranged them that way on purpose.

Frees was no fool, however. He leaned around Barbossa's large hat and got a better glimpse at the three women. "And who be the lasses?" he asked humorlessly.

Barbossa turned around to follow his gaze, as if to pretend like he had no idea who he was talking about. Rose rolled her eyes at seeing how flustered he was.

"Them?" Barbossa stuttered. "Oh, no one. Just passengers travellin' aboard."

Frees raised an eyebrow. "They be not a part of our deal. I said pirates, not passengers."

"We are pirates," Elizabeth cried from the back of the group. She then grabbed a hold of Rose's arm and put her hand on Tia's back and led them both to the front of the group to address Frees herself. "This is Tia Dalma, an excellent doctor we have travel with us. Haven't lost a soul yet under her watch," she said confidently. "And this is Hexfury and I am Swann, and we are as good as any of the men you see before you." Rose gave a sidelong glance at Elizabeth, a bit taken aback by the unexpected compliment.

Frees looked impressed by Elizabeth's speech. "Very well then," he conceded. "Pintel, Ragetti, join the team to weigh anchor. Turner, on the mizzen. Ms. Dalma, below decks at the sick bay. Cotton, Marty, below deck to aid in storage. Swann and Hexfury, join the rig team. Prepare to make sail, ya filthy bilge rats!"

Rose and Elizabeth exchanged a glance as they each scurried to take their positions. Rose had never rigged a thing in her life, but had no choice but to learn in the given moment.

While they worked, Frees slapped Barbossa on the back. "What's say you to the wheel?" he asked.

Barbossa heartily agreed, not being accustomed to doing hard menial labor since his youth. Before he left, however, Frees grabbed him by the arm. "I won't tolerate a dishonest streak aboard my ship," he said warningly.

Barbossa grinned weakly. "Of course!"

"Then what of the women, then?"

"Just slipped my mind, I assure ya," Barbossa lied.

Frees pursed his lips skeptically. "They may work aboard as long as yer aware of the risk of bringin' them with my lot of villains n' knaves."

As though expertly rehearsed, just at that moment, a commotion on deck caused both captains' attention to be drawn to the main mast, where a scuffle was underway. One of the men on the rig team had come at Elizabeth from behind, and defensively, she elbowed him square in the chest, sending him toppling backwards. He quickly recovered and charged at her, but Elizabeth immediately drew her sword. Before he was able to get anywhere close to her however, Rose leapt in his path and used the heel of her hand to smash his nose. Blood spewed vigorously out of his nostrils, and he instantly recoiled, much to the glee of his colleagues who howled at him as he retreated in defeat.

"Believe you me," Barbossa then said to Frees. "The ladies'll be just fine."

* * *

I wish I could report that this was the last time any of the women encountered prejudice while onboard the _Siren Song_ , but alas, that would be an outright lie.

Rose, Elizabeth, Tia Dalma and the rest of the crew rarely interacted in the weeks that followed, only when their paths would cross while put on the same duty. Despite not knowing much else about ship duties except what Anamaria had taught her, Rose quickly picked up upon more tasks, such as rigging, sail repairs, swabbing and tarring the deck, carpentry, and learning the inner workings of the ship's cannons. She worked from sunup to sundown, and masked her night blindness well. She refused to sleep below decks with the rest of the crew, opting instead to stay in the crow's nest for the entire night. This was for several main reasons; For one, she could not handle the stifling heat and stench that accompanied the crew's shared living quarters. Two, her nightmares wouldn't allow her much rest anyways. And three, there came a certain amount of solace sitting in her blindness at the crow's nest, a reminder of the last happy night she spent with Ben.

She undoubtedly worked harder than any other man aboard, and her constant work made her hands grow rough with wear and her skin grow evermore tan. She could tell from worried glances with Will and Gibbs that they thought at times she was working a bit too hard, but she cared not; It was oddly therapeutic to be so preoccupied. She didn't have time to mourn Ben, or Jack, or her mother, or the gypsies, or her absent father, or the trust she once had for Tia Dalma. The busier she kept herself, the stronger she became both physically and emotionally. Or at least, that's what she thought.

Despite her efforts, one day, a stout man with a gray beard began to antagonize her.

"Oi, gypsy girl," he called out to her one day, feeding off of the encouragement of a few friends.

This man, Rose had come to find out, was a Frenchman by the name of Canet. As such, he was keenly aware of the look of the mountain gypsies, and quickly associated Rose with that very group.

Rose had learned to say nothing, as her rage would only incite further teasing. She kept silently tying up a line, pretending not to hear him.

He walked close to her. "Oi, gypsy girl!" he repeated. "Read my fortune."

Rose looked up at him, face stoic.

"Read my fortune, I say!" he spat. He then leaned closer, his black teeth excreting a horrid stench right at her that she recoiled from. "You see moi et vous, yes? A little moonlight, a little romance, then I begin to take off—"

He never finished his vulgar thought, however for his mouth kept moving without a voice accompanying it. He face suddenly changed in horror, and his hands leapt to his throat in alarm. He opened his mouth wider, and wider still, yet no sound emerged. Rose's eyes were wide in surprise, but then she looked around the horrid man to see Tia Dalma standing at the forecastle deck with her finger raised, a large grin on her face.

Rose rolled her eyes, tied off the rope and walked away from Canet, who continued to scream silently, as though the harder he tried, the better chance he had at reversing Tia Dalma's magic. Rose also continued her walk to avoid Tia.

She heard her race down the deck towards her however, so Rose increased her pace.

"Wait!" Tia cried out, sidestepping around her so that she blocked her path.

"I don't need your help," Rose snapped, trying once more to go around her.

Tia countered again, however, holding her arms out as wide as they could go. "Da song has been sung, Rose. The Brethren Court 'as been called."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "That boy you cursed with your magic piece of eight started it?"

"Aye."

"And why does that concern me?"

Tia said nothing to this, just staring intently at Rose for a time. Finally, she said intensely, "Dere be a touch of destiny aboud you."

"Enough of the prophecies, Tia!" Rose cried in frustration. "I don't want to hear anymore! You seem to have known everything as it has come to pass, keeping things from me that you know will destroy me and making me doubt everything that I am with what you _do_ tell me! Would I have fallen in love with Ben again had the fact that he was undead made him fit your prophecy that I marry a dead man? Would I be in such pain?" Rose shook with anger. She then swallowed, pushing back the hair that stuck to the sweat that had gathered on her forehead. She then tentatively asked the question that had been ruminating in her for over two weeks now. "Would Jack still be alive had I not stayed behind with you to try to kill Barbossa?"

Tia said nothing to this, and only gulped.

"You told me to 'find him and keep him safe!' So answer me, then! If I hadn't left the _Black Pearl_ and hadn't stayed with you in the bayou, would Jack have died?" Once more, Tia only stared at her. "WOULD HE?" she shouted.

Tia started, and sullenly replied, "No."

Even though Rose wanted to hear an answer, this answer instantly brought tears to her eyes. "Explain," she whispered.

Tia's eyes grew sorrowful as she said slowly, "Him tried to run away from da _Pearl_ as she be sinkin'. Him thought to flee ta save himself. Him later come back, but da time it took let Jones's mighty Kraken have enough time ta get da best of da crew. If you be onboard as him attacked, ya know witty Jack wouldn't have eva left. Da fight would have been won, him _Pearl_ been safe n' sound, n' da monsta be defeated."

Rose's mouth was agape and the tears fell down her cheeks, and she clutched both her and Jack's pendants he had given her the last time they ever spoke. Deep down, she always knew that if she had stayed with him, things would have turned out differently. All that kept racing through her mind was one of the last things he said to her: " _You'll lose. There's no point in fighting this fight."_ He was right, as always. He knew even as he killed Barbossa with the only bullet in his gun back on the Isla de Muerta that his enemy would have to return as he was a Pirate Lord without a successor. There truly _was_ no point, and because of her rash behavior, her brother was dead.

"I knew it," Rose whispered, wiping her cheeks and then spinning on her heel to leave.

"Rose…" Tia cried after her, but this time she dared not pursue her.

All Rose wanted to do was have a moment alone, but Barbossa was suddenly directly in her path.

"Enough with yer dramatics," he ordered, placing a loaded pistol in her hand. "Meet the rest of our crew by the Captain's quarters."

"What?" Rose asked, completely disoriented. "Wha-why?"

"The time has come. We're either mutinying, or we're making an accord."


	51. Chapter 18 - Seizing Ships and Sickness

Despite having barely communicated with one another over the past few weeks and Rose's general unease with this group's mission that she thought to be impossible, she was rather impressed with how quickly and efficiently the group was able to band together and storm Captain Frees's quarters. Tia Dalma stayed out on deck to serve as a distraction, and Pintel and Ragetti stood guard at the door to keep other sailors out. The rest of them were armed with pistols and swords, and had them drawn and at the ready as they burst into Frees's office, led by Barbossa.

Frees's eyes went wide at the confrontation and he stood, hand poised on the hilt of his cutlass. "Mutinous wretches!" he cried out.

Will was quick to skirt around Barbossa and easily disarmed Frees, causing him to hand over his sword and throw his hands up begrudgingly in surrender.

"What in the blazes, Barbossa?"

"It's _Captain_ Barbossa, if ya please," he corrected him with a wry grin.

"Ah," Frees spat. "So this _is_ to be mutiny, then."

"Actually, no," Barbossa countered. "Not if we can avoid it."

That was when Barbossa and Frees took a seat at Frees's large dining table while Rose, Elizabeth, Will, Cotton, Marty, and Gibbs stood with their weapons still drawn menacingly around the room as the two men discussed what was to be the conditions of their accord.

"As we grow nearer to the southern tip of the world," Barbossa explained, "We also grow closer to the Pacific Ocean, and to Asia, where our destination lies. These be East India Trading Company waters, and as Lord Beckett's stronghold over the seas grows ever tighter, you know they'll be making continuous passage via that route."

"And?" Frees asked.

"And, I am askin' ye to help us sack one of these Company vessels. We set the crew adrift, raid their supplies, then go our separate ways."

"And what's in it fer me?" said a skeptical Frees.

Barbossa leaned forward with a grin, "Half the goods."

That was all Frees needed to hear. The next morning, Frees and Barbossa called a meeting of the crew and explained the plan. Someone was posted night and day in the crow's nest to seek out any passing ship as they travelled further and further southward.

Finally, on the third week of their voyage, Rose was swabbing the deck as she heard the unmistakable cry, "COMPANY SHIP DEAD AHEAD." She leapt to her feet and joined the rest of the crew who had accumulated at the bow of the ship. Barbossa stood at the forecastle deck, his telescope drawn.

"Aye, she be the one," he called out. He then turned to Frees. "By yer orders, Cap'n."

"All hands to the guns, you scurvy knaves! We're taking the ship! Fire to keep 'em from fleein', not to sink her!"

Rose rushed down to the gun deck with the rest of the crew and together with Marty, grabbed a cannon. She began to load the powder and ball as Marty readied the fuse. It took awhile for the ships to intersect paths, but Barbossa steered the _Siren Song_ so that her starboard side was ready to fire both in front of and behind the Company vessel. Noticing the pirate colors she flew, the enemy ship fired first, and Rose felt the jolt of the ship as the first ball hit the base of the ship.

Just then, Rose heard Frees cry out from above, "Very well then! Give 'em a broadside! Pound 'em lads, pound 'em!"

Without any further ado, Rose held her breath and readied for the deafening explosions from the cannons to begin, and begin they most certainly did. Some smashed some of the railing on the main deck, sending shards of wood and some men to go catapulting through the air. Other cannonballs fired to the front and rear of the boat, causing the poor soul posted on the wheel to try to steer away to no avail.

"Give it to them again, lads! Aye…that'll show the bilge rats!"

Another cannon tore through several sails, causing the ship to stop motion altogether.

Now Rose heard Barbossa call from the deck above, "Those who sail for the _Pearl,_ come about!"

Rose, Will, Marty, Cotton, Gibbs, Tia, Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti leapt to attention, followed by several others from Frees's crew, which utterly confused Rose, but she didn't have time to question it further. They raced up the ladder to the main deck and lowered a plank so that some of them could race between decks while others grabbed loose lines and swung across to the opposite deck.

Although they had lost the fight at sea, the Company men were still more than willing to fight man to man. Rose drew her sword, raced across the plank, and immediately threw herself into battle with one of the wigged officers. She countered every swing, and in doing so, was able to distract him enough that he didn't notice Pintel sneak up behind him and stab him through the stomach. Rose then turned to take on another one.

Just then, she saw Will taking down two officers at once with his one sword, when a third came upon him from behind and kicked his legs out from under him. Will tripped backwards and hit the railing of the ship so hard, his sword was knocked out of his hands and fell into the sea below. Rose was ready to rush to his aid, when she heard Elizabeth cry out, "WILL!" and toss her own weapon overhead to him. Will ignored her, however, and somersaulted through the three officers to grab a loose sword from another officer that Barbossa had killed. He then rose with this other weapon and swiftly disarmed his three assailants, pushing them into a corner and confiscating their weapons. However, in doing so, he left Elizabeth weaponless, and how an officer was coming upon _her,_ sword drawn and ready to slice her throat. Rose raced to her aid, grabbing the weapon off the man Pintel had killed and tossing her own sword at her. Rose was impressed by how swiftly Elizabeth took to the sword, easily killing her assailant, then rushing towards her for the both of them to take on another few men together.

However, just as they turned to do so, they realized that the fighting had ceased. An officer had run up a white flag, and the pirates aboard let out a whoop of joy. The fight was almost too easily won. All remaining officers were loaded into a longboat with a few provisions and were told to flee. The crew then went below deck and found a great deal of Indian spices, tea, silks, and pieces of silver. Frees and Barbossa negotiated a fair split of the goods, though Barbossa had to begrudgingly surrender the silver to keep food, fresh water and warm clothing for their dangerous journey ahead. Rose and the crew then began the arduous task of transporting crate after crate of Frees's half back to the _Siren Song._

After that was completed, Frees gave the orders to his men to make their way back to his ship.

"Fare thee well, Captain Barbossa," he said, before taking his own leave. "And pray we not be crossin' paths again, lest I have to take the other half of yer goods!"

Barbossa smiled. "Not if I be takin' yers first."

Frees then walked back, and once his feet hit the deck, Barbossa quickly motioned for Will to take the plank down. Rose then realized what was happening. While the crew had been exchanging the seized goods, Tia had repaired all the tears in the sails while Cotton had rearranged the rigging. Seeing Will take down the gangplank was his signal to let the sails fall, and they instantly ballooned with the southerly winds. Gibbs was on the wheel, having already turned it at a sharp angle so that they could make a quick escape. The ship immediately lurched forward, and began to swiftly take its leave, and Captain Frees turned around in alarm to find how Barbossa had deceived him; For onboard the Company vessel was three quarters of Frees' crew. In the three weeks spent aboard the _Siren Song,_ Barbossa spent all of his free time charming Frees' more neutral followers to aid in their journey to Singapore, promising them riches beyond their wildest imaginings at Davy Jones's Locker.

Frees yelled curses at Barbossa as they fled into the sunset, and the few remaining crew members fired a few shots at their retreating ship, but it was too late. The damage was done, and Barbossa had taken the upper hand. He was now free to lead a ship of his own autonomously to Singapore.

Would but it were that simple, however. What the crew had not taken into account were the Company men they had set free in the longboat. They were soon picked up by another, larger Company ship, commanded by Mercer, Lord Beckett's right hand man. Upon hearing the men's accounts of the pirates, Mercer's interest was peaked upon hearing about a girl among them with light colored hair.

This was when Mercer knew that Elizabeth Swann and the remaining crew of the _Black Pearl_ were fleeing for the Pacific, and began his pursuit after them.

* * *

Their struggles didn't end there, I'm afraid. The trip around the southern tip of South America, known as Cape Horn, is one of the most treacherous across the seven seas. Not only is this the place where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans mix, but it is also bitterly cold and has some of the fiercest storms. This was no exception for the crew. Barbossa and Gibbs were the only men aboard to have made the journey before, and therefore were also the only ones prepared for the dangers ahead. Gale force winds rocked the ship precariously, causing much seasickness as the pirates tried to keep the ship from steering off course straight into treacherous rocks that graced the shoreline of Cape Horn. Rose and Tia Dalma quickly ran out of fennel and peppermint to aid in the motion sickness, and it was common to find any one of the crew retching into the ocean off the side of the ship.

Rose continued to work to keep her mind off of other things despite the terrible conditions. However, she was soon called back to her previous life as a healer when the cold and wet of the storms caused seven men to grow violently ill. Two of these men included Gibbs and Will.

Tia Dalma and Rose were forced to work together once more, even though communication between them continued to be forced and uncomfortable. They wardened off a section of the ship, quarantining the sick men to deck cabins to try to keep the illness contained. Their supplies onboard were extremely limited, however, and panic began to set it as the first man died. Then another. Then another.

Conditions weren't letting up, and Rose and Tia began working around the clock to look after their patients, trading off shifts night and day. On one of these nights, Rose arrived to take over watching Will from Tia, and found Elizabeth sitting outside his cabin door, shivering and huddled in a woolen blanket. She had been like this for days, unmoving. Rose had never questioned it before, but suddenly she grew worried.

"Feeling unwell?" Rose asked, praying that the answer was no.

"No," Elizabeth replied, to her great relief. "I just…am worried about him."

Rose narrowed her eyes. It had nearly been two months since they had been at sea now, and the couple still wasn't talking to one another and she still didn't know what had happened between them. "You shouldn't be here," she warned. "The sickness could still spread."

Elizabeth wrapped herself up tighter. "I want to be here," she insisted. "Could I…perhaps go in?"

Rose shook her head immediately. "I just told you how formidable the sickness is. You may not go in. I apologize."

She nodded in understanding, then settled back into her chair.

Rose shrugged off her strange persistence and entered the room. Inside, Will was pale and shivering, yet seemed to be asleep. Wordlessly, Tia and Rose exchanged places and Tia quietly closed the door behind her as she left to check on the other men.

Rose grabbed a water basin and began to dab at Will's forehead to help combat the fever. This woke him up, but it had to be done.

After a time, Will hoarsely said, "You can't stay here all night."

"Watch me," she said with a smile. "I'm here for the night."

Will winced in pain as he turned slightly to face her. "Must be serious, then." Then, gravely, he asked, "How many?"

"Hmm?"

"How many have died?"

"Three," Rose said with a sigh. "All Frees's men."

He furrowed his brow. "And how many are left?"

"Two others. And Gibbs."

Will coughed again. "Oh… we can't lose Gibbs. He's the last bit of Jack we've got left to fight Barbossa's control."

"We certainly can't lose you either," Rose scolded. "And that's why I'm here."

He nodded weakly. After a moment, he said softly, "We haven't really had a chance to talk yet."

"There's not much to discuss," she replied. "You need to rest."

"Why are you not pleased at the notion of rescuing Jack?" he asked, his face solemn and eyes unblinking.

Rose's stomach churned at this forward question. "I…don't believe it can be done. Not with how few men we have, _especially_ now, not with Barbossa as our leader, not without a ship of our own, and certainly not with whatever bizarre nonsense has fallen out between you and Elizabeth."

She expected Will to reply with some message of positivity, in attempts to reassure her that Barbossa knew what he was doing, that the crew would succeed in their mission, and that Jack would be safely returned to the world of the living sooner than expected. But he only said in defeat, "I apologize. I know our current state has rendered quite a bit of unrest amongst our crew."

"This isn't a crew, Will," she said. "It's a mission doomed for failure." To this he said nothing, and only sighed. Rose decided to curtail her pessimism by changing the subject. "She waits for you, you know," she said.

He squinted. "Elizabeth?"

Rose motioned with her head towards the cabin door. "All day, all night. Right outside. Tia won't let her in because of the sickness, for her sake. _I_ won't let her in for your sake."

She was hoping that telling him this would convince him to tell her what had led to their falling out. Each time she had spoken to Will about her before, his entire demeanor would brighten as though she were a constant source of sunlight. She ached to know what on earth had gone so terribly wrong.

But he said nothing. Finally, she couldn't resist any longer and had to ask, "Will, what happened to you both? At first I thought you were mourning Jack, but now… This is absurd!"

He inhaled shallowly before speaking. "May I tell you something?" he asked. "It may hurt you to hear it, but I need someone else to know what I saw."

"Saw what?" she asked.

"The last I ever saw of Jack," Will whispered to her, as though what he was saying was of the utmost secrecy, "He and Elizabeth…" His voice cut out abruptly and he tried again. "Elizabeth…she demonstrated that our time apart has made me lose her for good, I fear."

Rose didn't understand. "What exactly did you see?"

"She kissed him, Rose. Like I have never seen her kiss before. A…parting gift, I suppose? A reward, perhaps. I know not. I just know what I saw, and before I could even think, Elizabeth had descended into the longboat without Jack, and has been inconsolable ever since."

Rose's head was spinning at this. Although she had barely ever interacted with Elizabeth, she knew from how Will had described her how virtuous and highborn she was. It didn't make sense to her that a woman like that would sabotage her engagement to a man like Will in favor of Jack. She knew her half-brother's tendencies toward women of any sort, and she didn't doubt that Elizabeth could have been the next subject of Jack's "affections." But unless she truly wanted to explore her rebellious side, Rose couldn't think of a reason why Elizabeth would so openly display her feelings for Jack.

No matter the reason, however, Rose suddenly found herself forming a deep-seeded hatred towards Elizabeth. Whereas Rose felt a strained, somewhat unrequited love for Ben, who was killed right in front of her, Elizabeth seemingly had every man she crossed in the palm of her hand. She was engaged to the Commodore, a wealthy nobleman, but tossed him aside for Will, a man Rose truly admired. Now she had tossed _him_ aside for Rose's own brother? Perhaps this was hatred mixed with jealousy. How could a woman attract so much adoration whereas Rose found only unhappiness? And how could Elizabeth be so heartless as to recklessly break the hearts of the men who loved her in favor of the next highest bidder?

Will's voice shook Rose from these thoughts as he asked, "I must know…did you know anything? Did Jack ever…ever say anything about Elizabeth to you? They were together alone onboard the _Pearl_ for a few days before I rejoined them on the Isla Cruces, so maybe _that's_ where this all began." He sounded truly desperate as he racked his mind for explanation. "Or perhaps it was after Barbossa marooned them on that island back before the curse was broken. They spent a night there. It's possible that…I don't know. I just don't know."

Rose gently tried her hardest to console her clearly hurt friend. "Jack never said a word. He finds most every living thing attractive, and I don't doubt he fancied Elizabeth, but I assure you that he never held any serious feelings for her, if that's what you mean. He didn't even remember her _name_ the vast the majority of the time. He doesn't feel that way about anyone."

Will was unconvinced. "I just don't know where to go from here," he murmured. "It's clear she knows that I saw her. She can barely even _look_ at me anymore, let alone come near me. I'm sure it's guilt, but…"

"Have you tried confronting her?"

"I can't!" he protested, voice slightly elevated in exasperation. "Every time I look at her…I see her and him. I can't bear it." He then collapsed into another coughing fit and sat up due the sheer force created by his lungs. Rose fetched her canteen of water and brought it to him, and he drank from it eagerly while shaking. She waited there with her hand on his back until the fit subsided.

As his breathing grew stronger, she was reminded of the last time she tended to someone like this. She had been standing with Ben retching over the side of the _Pearl,_ furious with her for not having the immediate cure to his ailments.

She was plunged back into despair upon thinking of Ben, and as Will settled back down, she said softly, "If there's one thing I have learned from my own brushes with love, it is to confront those care about with your feelings before it's too late and they forever remain unresolved. Act on them before it's too late. So do speak with her."

He nodded slightly. "I will. In time." He then looked up at her again. "Why is it that every conversation we have only seems to be centered around the tragedies that befall us in love?"

She smiled sadly. "I wish I knew.

"One day," he hoarsely murmured, "I swear it, we will speak on other things."

"When there's a reason to smile again," she sighed. "Now, do rest. If you need anything, you know I'll be here."

She waited until she heard his breathing grow heavier, indicating that he slept. Carefully, she raised herself to a standing position and opened the door to the hallway. Elizabeth, sitting just outside, looked up at her. Upon locking eyes with her, the woman who hurt Will and manipulated her brother just moments before his death, Rose felt herself seethe with anger.

"How is he?" Elizabeth whispered, her eyes wide in terror.

"Resting," Rose whispered back, her jaw tight. "You have to leave."

"I'm fine here," Elizabeth replied, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders. "I wish to wait to wait here until he's recovered."

"And I wish for you to _leave!_ " Rose hissed. "We are undermanned as is. I'm certain Barbossa needs you on deck."

Elizabeth only looked quizzically at Rose, uncertain of this newfound temper.

"Go!" Rose ordered. At this, Elizabeth stood and moved to return to the main deck, but she paused as she passed. She tried to peer inside the room to get a glimpse of her former fiancee, but Rose leaned so that she couldn't see in, her expression still firm and unchanging.

Elizabeth pursed her lips. "Did Will ask you to say that?" she mumbled.

"That's none of your concern. I asked you to go, so _go,_ " Rose spat angrily.

Finally, she conceded and took her leave. Rose watched as she walked out of sight, and as she did, she thought to herself, _I will find out what other secrets you keep, Swann._


	52. Chapter 19 - Singapore

The conditions at the Cape weren't permanent, however, and soon the ship was able to push west around the southern tip and northward. Gibbs, Will, and two other crewman who had fallen ill gradually recovered, and the weather once again grew warm and sunny as they headed straight for Singapore.

Rose continued to keep to herself, particularly making sure to steer clear of Elizabeth. Nowadays, the only person she trusted on board was Will, and even then she was confused by his behavior. Upon recovering, he grew darker and darker with each day that they grew closer to their destination, and Rose could not fathom why that could be.

They were about two days away from Singapore. Barbossa called a meeting to remind everyone of the plan he set in place over three months previous in the bayou. Not much had changed; They were to abandon the Company vessel in order to prevent being spotted by any enemies in the area, taking longboats into the docks. Pintel, Marty, Ragetti, Gibbs and Cotton were to lead a mission to provide artillery just in case things went awry when Barbossa and Elizabeth met with Sao Feng. All the women were to be decoys, planted to either attract attention and be brought straight to Sao Feng, in Elizabeth's case, or to be lookouts and extra artillery, like Tia Dalma as a blind street performer and Rose as a lady of the night. Will and Rose were to go ahead to take navigational charts that led to the Locker that Sao Feng kept in his family temple, then hopefully be granted a fresh ship and crew to take to the world's end.

That afternoon, disaster nearly struck. Someone had failed to properly secure one of the sails to the masts, and it came careening down into the water, causing the ship to tilt violently on its side. The crew scrambled to lift the opposite end to bring it upright again, Rose included. As they lifted, Rose tied off her rope, but her long, dark hair she hadn't tied up that day got caught in her knot, and as the sail took hold, it yanked her head downwards, the force almost strong enough to rip her scalp clean off. Rose, thinking quickly, grabbed a dagger that she kept on her belt and quickly chopped herself free. As she fell backwards from the force, she reached up and felt the lightness of her head. Her hair was cropped to about the length of her chin, and she touched the scored ends gingerly.

Barbossa marched on deck, furious. "What in the blazes have ye done?"

Rose was furious. "I just saved my own life, what does it look like?"

"Bloody fool!" he cried. "And how are we supposed to disguise ya now, pray tell?"

"Would you rather me without a head entirely?" Rose spat.

Barbossa only glared at her. "SWANN!" he cried out.

The next thing Rose knew, she was sitting inside Barbossa's quarters in front of a looking glass.

Elizabeth pawed at Rose's sliced hair. "I'm not sure I can do much with this," she reported to Barbossa.

He was seething in anger with what Rose had done. "Do _somethin'_ to it. It won't buy us even a minute of disguise as it is now." He stormed out of the room, grumbling under his breath as he left, "Bloody Teagues…"

Rose could care less what he or anyone else thought. Her hair seemed to be the only thing in her own life that she could control anymore, and even though the cutting of it was a rash action made spontaneously, she liked the way it made her feel. Her head was lighter, there was something different and new in her life, and for once it wasn't something inherently _bad._ And deep down, she also knew that her actions had impacted Barbossa's elaborate plans for her disguise in Singapore, a plan she already had some major qualms about with an overall objective she didn't believe in. So what was she to care if her altered appearance was a setback?

Elizabeth grabbed a rough horsehair brush, the only thing close to a comb she could get her hands on, and began to untangle Rose's wild, dark hair. The tension was thick in the room. As the days of their voyage unfolded, Rose was making her disdain for Elizabeth less and less concealed, and she was certain at this point Elizabeth could feel it too.

Energized by her rebellious action of that afternoon, Rose sharply asked Elizabeth, "So when are you to be married?"

A cruel question. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Will and Elizabeth were barely holding on to basic human communication, let alone any semblance of a loving relationship.

Sullenly, Elizabeth replied, "I'm not sure as of now. Our main priority is to get Jack back."

Rose snorted. "I'm sure it's _your_ priority."

She felt Elizabeth's brushing come to an abrupt halt at this. "…what did Will tell you?" was all she asked.

"Everything that mattered. I don't know what you wanted from Jack, but you're foolish if you believes in any sort of future with him. Jack wasn't the sort to-"

"I never thought any of that, I'm not a fool!" Elizabeth snapped, sharply changing her position so that she stood directly in front of Rose. "Don't pretend to know my reasons for doing anything I did that day, or _any_ day for that matter. You don't know me!"

"Nor do I wish to, Miss Swann," Rose spat. "All I see you as is a spoiled little girl who's meddling in a world she doesn't belong in, using real people as toys that she tosses aside when she's done with them."

These words shocked even Rose as they left her mouth. They clearly hurt Elizabeth, for she seemed winded by the verbal attack. After a moment, she stood straight again and returned back to untangling and fiddling with Rose's hacked hair. Rose knew how little both of them wanted to be there, but they both feared Barbossa's already temperamental state if they didn't provide him with some sort of assurance that Rose could once again pull off her disguise for the following fortnight.

A few minutes of tense silence passed, until finally Elizabeth quietly stated, "I want to tell you why I did it."

"Did what?"

"Why I kissed Jack. I did it to distract him. I never loved him. I just…had to make it look that way."

Rose furrowed her brow. "Why?"

Elizabeth had been tying Rose's hair into what felt like a small, low bun at the nape of her neck. She stayed silent until she had tied together the finished product, then carefully walked around to face Rose. She had her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes on the ground, almost as though she was a guilty servant confessing a crime to her master.

She began, voice shaking, "You know how the curse worked. It wasn't the _Pearl_ the Kraken wanted, it was Jack. If he came with us, it would mean our doom as well. It…it wasn't an easy choice…"

Rose's eyes widened and her heart began to race. "What are you saying?"

Elizabeth's gaze remained on the ground. "I had a pair of shackles in my hand…"

Rose stood so quickly that she knocked the stool upon which she had been sitting across the room. Elizabeth jumped at the movement. "You didn't," she said, voice furious. "Tell me you did not do what I fear you are saying you did."

Even still, Elizabeth couldn't look at her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears now falling down her cheeks. "I didn't think I had a choice."

Rose too was crying, though her tears were full of rage. "So the Kraken only did the deed. _You_ were the one who killed my brother."

"I didn't know about you. I didn't know he had family waiting for him, I—" she stammered, now nearly hysterical. "But what choice did I have? He was cursed, the _Pearl_ was in pieces, and we _had_ to get away or all perish. I didn't know at the time Jack could be brought back."

"And you still don't know it," Rose said sternly. " _If_ we all succeed, he will return. There's still a chance we may all still die trying to save him!"

Elizabeth finally looked Rose in the eyes. Earnestly, she murmured, "I have to try. Getting him back is the only chance we have."

Looking at this young woman directly in her eyes revealed much to Rose that she had previously never seen. Elizabeth looked truly exhausted, guilt-ridden, and incredibly stressed. Rose felt herself starting to soften, especially after Elizabeth added one final plea for her understanding: "I didn't want to kill him, Rose. I'm so sorry."

It was true. If Elizabeth hadn't forcibly made Jack stay with his ship, they would have all made a break for shore and the Kraken would have swallowed all of them up immediately. Suddenly, Rose realized something she hadn't before: Will was an inhabitant of that longboat.

"You were willing to do what was necessary to save Will, even if it meant you losing him forever?" Rose asked in disbelief.

Elizabeth nodded, shedding still more tears. "He needs to save his father," she whispered. "He needs to survive."

"You know what he's thinking as of now, don't you?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth answered demurely. "He thinks I'm a murderer."

Rose was about to correct her, informing her that no, Will didn't think that Elizabeth had killed Jack at all, but instead mistakenly thought that Elizabeth was in love with Jack. However, she was interrupted from doing so when Barbossa stormed in once more. He glanced at Rose, grumbling, "Looks hideous, but it'll suffice. Now come. It's time to abandon ship."

The two women silently moved to obey, following after him, but Rose stopped Elizabeth's progress by laying a hand on her shoulder and turning to face her. She spoke in a hushed, hurried voice, but she felt an unexpected sense of peace wash over her as the words she never thought she'd say fell out of her mouth: "I will never condone what you did, Elizabeth, but I see your reasons, and I have misjudged you. Just…please talk to Will. There's much you need to discuss."

There was nothing more to be said between them. Elizabeth only had time to nod and wipe the tears from her face, and then they had to hurry along after their Captain.

* * *

"I feel ridiculous," Rose said, wandering along Singapore's winding city streets. She was wearing heavy layers of makeup to look less like herself and to blend in, but she felt the effect to be completely unconvincing. Although she wore a hooded cloak, the overall disguise seemed to be completely unnecessary, and she felt as though everyone was watching her. She and Will had gone along ahead of the rest of the crew to steal the charts to the Locker from Sao Feng's uncle, and therefore were still in daylight. If anything went awry however, and Rose was left in darkness, she wasn't convinced that she could find her way in such a large, complex city back to the rest of the crew with her night blindness.

"You're fine," Will assured her. "I just need you to be my lookout, I'll do all the work."

"That's what concerns me most," Rose said with a sly smile. "I don't know if I trust you to pull this off."

Will gave her a sidelong glance. "Was that a joke I detected? Could it be that your spirits are improving?"

Rose snorted cynically. "Hardly. I think I'm just relieved to be off that bloody ship."

"Well, don't get too comfortable," said he. "As soon as we get these charts and a new ship, we're off again."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Aye. Off for yet more danger with little promise of payoff."

Just then, Will shot his arm out in front of her. "Stop!" he whispered. That's when Rose saw what he had seen; A large troupe of East India Trading Company officials, led by Beckett's man Mercer, had just landed in Singapore and were patrolling the streets.

Will and Rose darted behind a market vendor as not to be seen. Upon fully recognizing them, however, Rose heard Will whisper, "Excellent!"

Rose furrowed her brow. "What could possibly be excellent about this?" Rose whispered back. "This is yet another threat to our success, as if the odds weren't already insurmountable."

"Nothing," he quickly deflected. "Never mind."

They waited until the officers passed, then continued on their way. Tia Dalma had given them instructions on where to find the charts, and no one dared contest her information. They were instructed to follow the river to the temple stairs, then ascend. Rose was to wait outside the gates, hooded with a fan over her face as to remain inconspicuous.

After a time, they finally landed at the gateway. Will drew his sword and was about to ascend, when Rose grabbed his arm. "If we don't succeed," she said, "Thank you for all you have done."

He laid his hand atop hers reassuringly. "I promise, Rose, we're going to succeed. Jack and the _Pearl_ will return. …I need it to."

Rose cocked her head to the side in confusion. "You need the _Pearl_?"

He quickly corrected himself. "No, I…I need…order restored just as much as any of you. On my life, I vow."

Rose frowned. "That's exactly what I fear," she said. "'On your life.' If something goes awry, I will follow you and help you as I can. But if I am the one to fall behind, don't wait for me."

"Don't say that," he replied.

"I mean it, Will," she said, her voice high with desperation. "You all have to get away. I won't have nine more lives on my hands. …I've already done enough damage already. If you must get away, keep to the Code. 'A pirate who falls behind gets left behind,' isn't it? I'll…figure something out." He said nothing to this, so she added, "Promise me!"

He hesitantly replied, "I promise." Then with that, he began his journey up to the temple.

Rose pulled out her fan and held it so that all but her eyes were covered from passersby. Much like Tripoli, Rose wished that she could have the time to explore this place someday when there wasn't a very real need to obtain an objective, then flee. Singapore was another unfamiliar place with intriguing aromas, beautiful colors and textures, and winding roads Rose would have otherwise loved to get lost down. It was also a prominent pirate port, and Rose feared for the sake of the locals now that she and Will had seen Company men arrive on the scene.

Minutes passed. Rose began to notice a thick layer of fog roll in as the afternoon passed by. This fog grew thicker with every passing moment, and Rose began to grow more and more uncomfortable with the fact that Will hadn't returned. _What was keeping him_? she wondered.

A few more minutes delivered her a response, for suddenly she heard a commotion coming down the stairs. First out of the gate came a man holding a rolled up bamboo mat across his back, surrounded by two armed guards. _The map!_ Rose thought in horror. Will must have been unsuccessful. These men were then followed by Will himself, tied by his wrists to a long pole that forced his arms to be spread out wide from his body, being pulled along by four other pirates. Rose's eyes widened in horror. As he passed, Will glanced intently at Rose and muttered, "Bath houses!"

She was quick to follow them, her heart pounding. But by this time, the fog was extremely thick, and Rose's vision soon faded to include only shadows of passersby. She was making her way along the streets by touch only, running her fingertips along building and stone exteriors. This took her ages, and the complete panic kicked in when the sun set, and she was no longer able to see a thing. She couldn't get to the bath houses, she couldn't even get to the docks. She couldn't just stay there, however. Surrounded by unfamiliar sensations, Rose continued her way towards what she thought were the docks, walking blindly ahead through the crowded streets of Singapore.

Hours passed like this, and Rose wanted to cry she was so frustrated. She cursed her night blindness for doing this to her yet again, and continued stumbling her way towards the sound of the ocean. Finally, the sound of gunfire and commotion came from her left.

She picked up her pace and raced down the westward streets towards the noise. Fleeing people began to crash into her as she pushed upstream towards the danger. Just then, her vision was temporarily restored by explosions and fireworks that were going off as a result of a large fight between what looked like Singaporean pirates and the East India Trading Company. Rose drew her sword, which she had kept hidden inside her cloak, and raced towards the action, energized by her faint vision. Just then however, Rose heard the click of a gun right at the back of her head.

"GET DOWN!" an East India Trading Company officer yelled at her, pushing her to the side with another group of captured Singaporean pirates. Before she even knew what was happening, she was clapped in irons and chained to the other prisoners, then marched towards the docks. A burning fire in the town as a result of the explosions allowed her to see only a few, last things. Most notably, as she was being pushed into a longboat and put out to sea, she saw the unmistakable image of Elizabeth, Will, Barbossa, and a group of Singaporean pirates race along a far off dock into a brand new ship.

Though her heart was in her chest and her head spun with the distorted shadows created by her poor eyesight and the broad mix of languages in the boat as they cast off towards a Company ship, Rose couldn't help but feel a sense of joy at knowing that the crew got away and had listened to her final wishes that they keep to the Code. What did she care of her own life? All that mattered was that while the crew would most likely perish on the next leg of their journey anyways, at least she would not be to blame.


	53. Chapter 20 - To the Gallows

The darkness didn't bother her. That she had grown accustomed to. It was the noise. It was beginning to be light outside, and were it not for the guinea sack over her head, Rose could have gauged her surroundings and known what was happening. But she was now blind and disoriented. Noise was everywhere; yelling in languages she could not comprehend, mumbles and desperate cries, the shuffling of feet on the wooden floorboard beneath them. She had been shoved into a large group of pirates—she could tell by the smell. There was little room, so there was much dissension and unrest in the group and she was displaced everywhere she turned.

A round fired into the air killed the noise. Rose was so taken aback, she ducked low. The noise had ceased altogether. Apparently they had all been shocked by the sudden gunfire. A voice pierced through the air, for once in a language Rose understood. "Silence!" the man yelled. "The first one of you to talk will be killed!"

Rose started when the bag was lifted from her head. Her eyes adjusted to the blinding light as she turned in the direction the voice came from. "I demand order!" he shrieked again. It was Mercer, that wretched man Will had recognized in Singapore. Having not caught the _Pearl,_ they must have been heading with what pirates they were able to capture. Rose had been here before as a child; This was most assuredly a slave ship.

Another shot rang out. "You are under arrest for crimes of piracy against His Majesty King George of England," Mercer cried. "As officials of the East India Trading Company, we have been commissioned by His Majesty to convict you of high treason for which the punishment is death."

Rose took a sharp intake of breath. They truly _were_ everywhere. The crown wanted an immediate end to piracy, no matter the costs. This was no slave ship; They were going to make another three month-long journey back around Cape Horn back to Port Royal, where they were to be killed.

They were pushed into crowded lines. The officials grouped the women, five of them, including Rose, and the men, which numbered around fifteen, into two separate groups. They were onboard a large ship which flew the white sails and EITC flag. Those domineering letters seemed to mock them, jeering at their impending doom.

There were five or so wigged men standing on the balcony above, reading the rites of their death sentence. _Serve imprisoned sentence in the brig...the time we reach to fortress at Port Royal...Hanged by the neck until dead...May God have mercy and understanding.._.

Once that had finished, the lines were forced down into the brig, where the men and women were separated by a cloth curtain. Rose could soon feel the rocking of the ship, signaling their departure from Singapore. She would be returning to Port Royal, but this time, she was the one in need of rescuing. And there was no one left to rescue her.

* * *

Yet again, Rose found herself blind in a ship's underbelly, utterly alone in a room full of strangers, only this time Jack would not be there to help her through this one. She was being captured and taken prisoner to a foreign land without any hope of escape. The only time they were taken above deck was once a day for meals, wherein they were served scraps of food like pigs. By this time, the makeup had fully worn off her face. Up on deck, some of the men would call out to the chain gang of women when they would surface, but they all chose to stick together, knowing that the hell they faced below deck was far better than the hell they would have endured at the mercy of those men. Below deck was stiflingly hot, then bitterly cold as they made their way south towards Cape Horn again. Rose was always blind down here, and when sickness hit once again, she had no herbs to help anyone this time. Four of the prisoners died in the freezing, illness-ridden conditions, and their bodies were thrown overboard.

She never spoke a word because there were no words that could have been understood by anyone else in the vicinity, and instead just leaned her head against the walls of her wooden prison, drifting in and out of sleep. For the most part, Rose was just appreciative that she _was_ blind to the darkness; That meant that she couldn't see what atrocities the prisoners were living in. The stench was horrible, but she could breathe through her mouth. All that left her with was the sound of their suffering, but even that she learned to tune out. Especially when a familiar face arrived.

 _"That's alright. Read it again, Rose,_ " an etherial voice spoke, clear as day into her ear.

Rose's eyes flew open. There, right in front of her, sat her mother Anna, as clear as day.

Rose licked her cracked, dry lips, and hoarsely whispered, "…maman?"

" _Read it again, Rose,_ " Anna repeated. " _Thine sea of beauty, is without limit, stretching forth eternally.'Till darkness raises from the deaths…"_

"'Tis shimmering for thee," Rose mumbled weakly.

Anna raised an eyebrow at Rose. " _Ma cherie, you're giving up so soon?"_

 _"_ It's the end, maman," Rose replied, closing her eyelids. "I will join you soon, I know."

Before she drifted off to sleep again, she heard her mother say softly, _"That's not the Rose I know…"_

* * *

And then one day, the ship stopped moving. The usual, casual sound of chatter in the brig faded to hushed whispers.

A door opened and light flooded the cell. "Everyone out!" a nasally voice yelled. Rose stood once she heard the excitement of the her cellmates, the hushed murmurs and the rustling of shackles. The cells were unlocked and one by one, the prisoners filed out in an orderly line. Rose's legs were unsteady, but at least the light gave definition to the shapes in front of her. As they surfaced above deck, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the scenery. They were docked at Port Royal, where the fortress that Jack was at one time sentenced to die at loomed over a formidable cliff a mere jaunt away. Now that death march was his sister's to bear. They descended the ship and were loaded into a wagon, where they were lifted to the square.

Rose passed the time by examining her fellow prisoners in the chain line, seeing them all together for the first time in months. All native Singaporeans. Probably Sao Feng's. In the front, an old man, skin rough from years of salt water and sun. Next to him, two young men, probably brothers. Then Rose. On the other side of her, bringing up the rear, was a heavy set woman, cheeks blackened with kohl streaks from the tears she was currently shedding.

Rose had no tears to shed. Her fight was never for herself. Her fight was always to keep those she loved alive and she had failed. She felt she needed to be punished. By comparison, her death was a gift to her and those around her.

The cart pulled up alongside the stone entrance to their death-place. The guards roughly pulled the pirates from the bed of the wagon and forced them in line behind roughly fifty others. Just within her line of vision, the gallows loomed ahead. Seven ropes above seven trap doors. A single trigger. The sight sent shivers down her spine.

Ahead and to her right stood many wigged officials. Two of these men were approaching, examining the line, one tall and one shorter. She caught wind of their conversation as they grew nearer to her.

"Witness the power the new and improved East India Trading Company has over the ruffians, Admiral," the shorter man said.

"Yes, Lord Beckett," the taller man replied in monotone.

 _Beckett._ So this vile creature was Beckett, the man causing so much chaos in the world of pirates. He grinned evilly. "New shipment in from Singapore." He stopped next to a man only a few bodies ahead of where Rose stood. Beckett lunged at the terrified being, causing him to jump and cower. Beckett chuckled cruelly, turning to his Admiral. "Not so tough when you take it all from them, eh?"

The Admiral did not acknowledge this action, but instead changed the subject. "And... _all_ of these people are to be executed, then?"

They stopped right next to where Rose stood. She watched Beckett turn to the Admiral. "They're not people. They're bilge rats. Scum. They need to be exterminated so that our world can be cleansed."

Beckett stood closest to Rose, his back to her. She took the last bit of fight left in her malnourished body and directed it at him. If she could just get at him...she might be able to swing her chain over his neck and strangle the life out of him...

Her eyes met the Admiral's, who had seen her staring intently at Beckett. Beckett followed his eyes to Rose herself, who quickly lowered her gaze.

"My my my," Beckett said, taking Rose by the neck and forcing her face up so that he could peer into her eyes. "You seem to have caught the eye one of _our_ kind, Admiral." His soulless eyes beat into Rose as he sneered, "It would seem as though you were in the wrong country at the wrong time, eh?"

Rose said nothing, returning his glare and matching his hatred. She then made an incredibly dangerous move— Rose spat at him. He immediately released her as he recoiled, wiping his face. He turned back to her, slapping so her hard across the face that she fell down to her knees. A guard was quick to prod her in the left side with his bayonet. "Rise!" he yelled. Rose obeyed with a wince, feeling the sting of his hand still across her cheek. The pain was nothing compared to the immense satisfaction she felt at having retaliated against him even in that small manner.

Beckett, however, was relentless. Once she was standing, he grabbed her jaw with his right hand, pulling her face close to his. "Do you speak English?"

She said nothing. He shook her face. "I asked you a question!"

Rose sneered, then through her clenched jaw, she muttered, "Yes."

"Then understand this," he put his face aside hers, and threateningly whispered into her ear, "We could have done so much worse to you. Especially to a woman. Think of your untimely end as a release. Count yourself lucky, harlot."

He let her go, and her gaze returned to her hands, though her stomach boiled with anger at the horrific threat. She could tell Beckett and the Admiral were still at her side, but she dared not look up again. That was until...

"On the other hand," Beckett said. "What's say you, Admiral?"

"What do I say to what?" he replied coolly.

Beckett grabbed Rose by the hair, shoving her head toward the Admiral. Rose yelped in pain, but had no choice but to look right at him.

"Filth like this is not of my taste," Beckett calmly stated, "But she might be of some use to you."

The Admiral narrowed his eyes. "I rather doubt that, sir."

"Oh but I insist," Beckett responded, causing Rose's heart to race in her chest. "What's stopping you? You cannot otherwise keep a woman in your care, so what's preventing you from taking this gift I am so graciously bestowing upon you?"

The Admiral instantly averted his gaze, his face growing red. After a moment, he said quietly, "I make it a priority not to associate myself with things tarnished by piracy."

"Oh that's not true," Beckett replied cruelly. "And if you honestly believe that, then by that standard no woman will ever come near you again given your own recent past."

The Admiral refused to break his gaze with the ground, simply stating, darkly, "Let her go."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Let her go!" blurted the Admiral. He looked up and glared at Beckett. Beckett did let Rose go, after a tense moment of the two men sharing a heated look with one other. Beckett then walked on without another word. Rose once again looked down at her hands, until she realized that the Admiral still stood by her side. She dared to look up at him again, and was instantly taken aback that he was staring at her, mouth slightly ajar and brow furrowed. Did he... _recognize_ her? She searched his face. Something did seem horribly familiar about him...

"Admiral!" Beckett called from behind her. The man hastily hurried to catch up with his master.

After they had examined the entire line, the two men made their way back to the front of the gallows. Rose searched her mind and the many people's faces she had collected within it. And suddenly, she gasped aloud as she realized that she had met this man before. He had held her at gunpoint not but a few months earlier. This man was Commodore Norrington.

"Let it begin!" Beckett cried out. Shaken from her realization, Rose watched seven people ascend the stairs and take their places, heads bowed. The line move up seven places. One by one, each head was furnished with a rope.

"Admiral," Beckett said. "Are you not going to watch?"

Rose dared not look away from Norrington as he replied, forcibly placid, "Are you not going to read them their execution deeds?"

Beckett tossed his valid question aside. "We'll do that for pirates who can actually understand English. Why waste the breath?"

Norrington fell silent and looked back at the ground. "Watch!" yelled Beckett. Norrington tightened his jaw and obeyed, though doing so clearly pained him. The masked murderer standing at the ready pulled the handle.

The crank was sickening. Rose couldn't look after that, her body beginning to shake. She knew as soon as she was on the platform, all her inhibitions would leave and she would feel liberated, but every excruciating moment until then was a slow motion anxiety attack.

Time was unbearably long in those moments. Her eyes stopped focusing, and once again she fell blind to her surroundings, but this time, mentally, not physically. She could hear every horrible crank and every snap of seven necks at once and every sickening thud as body after lifeless body was thrown atop one another aboard a wagon that would periodically driven out to a mass grave somewhere outside the fortress. Her reluctant legs shuffled toward the gallows with every pause between cranks, and the blood pulsed in her ears. She didn't even wake up from the trance even when the line stopped moving, as she was standing behind a noose of her own. She felt the prickly rope against the skin on her neck, and still didn't think anything of it. She didn't think anything of the executioner and his dreadful steps back to the crank.

She _did_ think when she heard the voice cry out, "Stop!" however. Everyone thought of that. Only then did Rose awaken from her dreamlike state. She looked up in alarm, searching for the source of the voice. Suddenly, the masked man was at her side, and she began to breathe shallowly in relief as he lifted the noose from around her neck. Next, her chain was removed. His firm hand grasped her arm and pulled her out of line, helping her descend the stairs and into the command of a different officer, who marched her away from the gallows. Her stomach plummeted when she heard the cranks and snaps began once again to move...without her.

It took her some time to realize what was happening. It finally hit her when she was led right up to Beckett and Norrington. It hit her in the stomach, as it fell again in total fear.

"I do believe this one will be of use to me after all, Lord Beckett," said Norrington.

Beckett gave a slight snort of laughter. "Isn't it funny what a man will do for lust?" He turned his shark eyes to Rose, causing her stomach to churn once more as he sneered, "Lucky girl… _for now."_ He then tossed more insults back at Norrington to further demean him, warning, "Don't get too attached to your new toy, and don't think I won't be keeping an eye on you. Once a pirate—"

"I understand, sir," was all Norrington replied. Then, turning to the guard who held Rose by the arm, he said, "Take her to my office."


	54. Chapter 21 - Rose and James

Rose's eyes adjusted to the candlelight in the room. The walls were entirely stone, with one outside window that let in some of the morning light. She could see a table, padded chair, maps and charts nailed to the walls...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden _clank_ of her shackles hitting the floor. She instantly reached for her wrists and rubbed the reddened skin that was irritated by the rusted metal.

"What's your name?" the guard said, rank halitosis greeting her nose.

"What's it to you?" Rose was on edge to say the least, and was not at all in the mood for pleasantries from someone so vile, both inside and out.

"Ah! A Frenchie!" he cried triumphantly. "Well, Frenchie, you have a special job tonight, eh?"

Rose's heart beat wildly in her chest. "How do you mean?" she asked, although she knew exactly how he meant.

His cackle sent her cringing. "Be wise, Frenchie. The Admiral's a single man! Sendin' for a lovely Frenchie from the gallows. Why else would he be keepin' ya alive?"

Rose gulped for air. She wished so desperately that she hadn't acted so rashly, and created undue attention to herself. She wouldn't have been pulled out of the execution line, for likely was chance that what she was about to endure was going to be much worse than what she would have endured had she stayed inactive. Norrington and his men had fallen behind and presumably turned back to Port Royal once the _Pearl_ had successfully skirted a decently treacherous hurricane. His motivation was only to find Sparrow and deliver justice as he saw fit. He knew Rose was a part of Jack's crew, and he could use her by whatever means necessary to manipulate information, though he would have no way of knowing that his work had already been delivered in the form of Davy Jones, yet another of Jack's all too many enemies.

The panic worsened as Rose heard Norrington approach his door. She instinctively began to pull away.

"Don't be scared now, Frenchie," the guard jeered. "I'm sure you'll have a fine time!" His cackle seemed to match the creak of the door as the Admiral entered.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Richards," she heard him say.

"Aye, sir," Richards responded, exiting through the doorway. Rose was staring straight ahead, eyes wide and alert.

"No need to stay posted," Norrington called behind him. "I would appreciate some privacy with the prisoner." Rose drew a sharp intake of breath.

Richards released a suggestive guffaw as he closed the door behind him. He left her side and listened at the door for a moment. The moment passed when he decided that it was safe to speak. "He's gone," he announced sharply. Rose's eyes were still wide with terror, and she didn't respond, letting a chilling silence fall between them. She was almost afraid to breathe incorrectly for fear of his killing her right there. His face was hardened and cold, eyes distant and judgmental.

He continued, "I am providing you with an opportunity."

She dared not move, although her heart flew with the mention of the word _opportunity._ She gulped, absolutely terrified. "Whatever you're about to do, I would prefer that you get it over with now and save me the agony of waiting."

He did not react at all to her plea. "Explain," was all he said.

"Sir?" she asked. _What did he mean "explain?"_

"Explain your story."

Rose considered her options. There was a slight chance that Norrington didn't _completely_ recall her, but perhaps recognized some of her qualities. Perhaps he didn't actually remember under what pretenses they had met. She spoke with specific intent, in hopes of saving herself. "I am with child," she murmured. "The father died at sea. I am alone." But she instantly regretted the words as they left her mouth. It was clear that she was telling a boldfaced lie.

His eyes smiled like a cat pursuing a mouse. "Then," he said, "You will give birth in prison, then be hanged. Your child will be sent to an orphanage and most likely work in the sugar plantations if he is lucky."

His words were cold and harsh, and she swallowed the fear that billowed inside her.

"Don't you see?" he said with an evil grin. "No matter what excuses you have, there is no escaping this fate. So you might as well tell me the truth." He snorted. "You really thought I wouldn't recall you yet _again_ despite…whatever happened to your hair."

So it was clear then. He _did_ recognize her. Her response was fiery and instantaneous. She was most likely overstepping her boundaries, but she was so scared and furious that she dared to be bold. "If there is no escape," Rose bristled, "Then what 'opportunity' can you possibly offer me?"

He blinked a few times, then a sarcastic smirk crossed his face. "I am assuring you the opportunity to tell the truth." He moved from behind his desk and towered over her, his posture straight and strong. "So tell me, miss, after all this time, what _is_ the truth?"

Rose gulped, unsure of what move she should take in this dangerous chess game of fate. "I don't know what truth to tell, Admiral," she said carefully.

"You can begin by telling me how you know him."

 _Jack._ Rose had always promised Jack to never reveal how they were related, as his enemies could find a way to use their blood connection as a weakness. But Jack was dead, and Rose was about to join him. Did that rule still apply? "Why does that matter?" Rose asked carefully.

He raised his eyebrows. "The Redhead act? All for that key?" _He knew about the key to Davy Jones's chest._ "That takes a serious commitment. And," he said, stepping closer to her, "You're not exactly Jack's type. With the wig, perhaps, but otherwise..."

Rose looked him squarely in the eyes, though he towered above her. Then she allowed the words to fall out her mouth. "We are siblings."

He grinned in victory. "What is your name, Miss…Sparrow?" he questioned taking his original place behind his desk, leaning on it.

"My name is Rose Hexfury."

"And this, of course, makes you the daughter of Edward Teague, if I am not mistaken." He leaned toward her menacingly. "You have his eyes." She quickly looked away. "Pray tell," he continued, "What has Jack told you about me?"

Rose too grinned now. So this was to be a power game. Very well. "He's told me that you have sworn his death and all those aboard the _Pearl,_ which includes me."

His eyes gleamed. "How does the _Pearl_ fare nowadays?"

Rose's face flared with heat as blood pulsated through her veins directly into her face. The game had gone too far. "You know DAMN well how they fare!" she cried.

His face fell. "No," he corrected somberly. "Truly I do not. It concerns me."

"Oh," she scoffed. "I'm _sure_ it does. Well, you've been beaten to the task, Admiral."

His eyes widened. "What?"

Rose considered before speaking. If the impossible actually were to occur, and the _Pearl_ 's crew actually did succeed in saving Jack, she could be damning him again by telling Norrington anything. And whose life was she protecting? Her own? Hardly worth the satisfaction he would receive. But she stood the chance to endure some permanent damage, and for the time being...what was dead was dead.

Rose was careful not to reveal too much, and instead decided to let her words trigger a reaction. "The _Pearl_ is gone. She sank beneath the waves."

The Admiral's face fell once more. For once, Rose saw all his power drain from him. "By what means?" was all he said.

If Norrington responded to what Rose was about to say next, then he truly had done his research in this matter. "Davy Jones," she said.

Indeed, he did not question her answer in the slightest. It seemed that he had truly immersed himself in all of Jack's doings. He simply asked next, "And what of the crew?"

"Dead." Although she revealed this solemnly, Rose did take pleasure in the wince that escaped him.

"They... _all_ died by the Kraken?"

Suddenly, all Rose's power over the situation left again at the mention of the Kraken. This man knew far more about the situation than Rose had ever anticipated. "How...how did you—"

"I am not all I appear to be, Miss Hexfury," he murmured. "Now, please answer my question. _Did they all perish?"_

"No," she finally said. "The only one to die at the hands of the Kraken was Jack. The others got away."

His face hardened. "You said they were all dead!"

"Consider this, Admiral," Rose replied. "The surviving crew and myself were traveling to Davy Jones's Locker to rescue Jack. Your men captured me while the rest made their escape to the Locker. So," she continued, "What are the odds the crew actually made it at world's end, especially with your Lord Beckett's reign of terror across the seven seas?"

He blinked a few times before responding. "I would not put it past that crew to get what they want. They seem extraordinarily fortunate." He began to slowly pace behind the desk. "But Sparrow surprises me. He...I don't mean to pry, but are you certain that he is in fact..." His voice trailed off.

"Dead?" Rose finished. "Yes, Admiral. This much I know."

He looked at her. "My apologies. His humility is certainly admirable, seeing that it usually seems beyond him."

Her throat tightened. She struggled to keep her voice calm as she said, "He was always considerate, yet he always kept that side of him distant from others. However, in the instance of his death, the Captain would not have gone down with his ship. He was...detained."

"Who?" he asked eagerly. "I know the crew. Who killed him?"

Rose tightened her jaw as she spat, "Your betrothed, Admiral."

Before her name even had the chance to leave Rose's mouth, Norrington cried out, "Elizabeth?" He then started to laugh. "I didn't think her capable of it, but was right in my assumptions all along. It became too much for her."

"What became too much?"

Norrington snorted in amusement. "Her attraction to Jack was embarrassingly obvious. The only things that stood in the way of her and Turner's love affair were me and Jack. I left of my own accord, so she had to cut Jack out herself."

Rose tried to calm herself down as not to attack the Admiral for his casual behavior towards the death of her beloved sibling, and instead rigidly stated, "I thought it was Elizabeth who left you of _her_ own accord, not the other way around."

Now Norrington felt the sting of Rose's words, spitefully countering, "The first time, perhaps. The second time was when I served beneath your imbecilic brother's reign aboard the _Black Pearl_ as a deckhand little over three months ago. And conveniently enough, you were no longer aboard. How interesting..." The two had indeed barely missed each other, as he and Elizabeth had boarded the _Pearl_ in Tortuga right after the crew left Rose in the bayou with Tia and Barbossa.

She gritted her teeth. "I was needed elsewhere, thank you. And you? _You?_ A deckhand aboard the _Pearl_?"

He smiled ruefully, then looked up at her. "If you can't beat them, join them. A pirate's life for me."

Suddenly, Rose realized what had happened. "Your ship was destroyed after the hurricane in Tripoli, wasn't it?"

"And my crew, and my career, and my life."

"Obviously not for long," Rose shot back. "For here we are, and it would appear that your wig is whiter than ever."

Norrington pursed his lips. "An act of piracy lost me the job, and an act of piracy won it back. I stole Jones's heart and handed it over to Beckett."

Rose's eyes widened and her mouth searched for the right words. Her voice shook with fury as she said, "That heart could have saved Jack. Called off the Kraken!"

He moved out from behind the desk and walked over to her again. "Are you suggesting that I am just as much to blame for Jack's death as Elizabeth is?"

Rose didn't answer, for fear of angering him into physical violence towards her. Verbal sparring was one thing, but this could unfold into something far more serious quite quickly.

He answered for her. "Perhaps I am to blame," he said, removed. "I am truly sorry for your loss Miss Hexfury, but it seems that you knew a different Jack than I did. And for someone who ruined my life, I cannot help but feel slightly fulfilled that my actions might have led to his undoing."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. This conversation needed to end here. She could not handle this. And there was still the very real possibility that there was an alternate reason why she was called here alone. "Why did you _really_ save me, Admiral?" she blurted.

He brought himself quite close until he was towering above her once more, saying in a hushed voice, "When I was onboard, no one trusted me with information. They are going to the Locker to retrieve Jack, and then what? Why do they need him back so profoundly? What is their next move?"

Rose pulled back, realizing his true intentions. "You want to destroy us all!" she yelled.

He grasped her shoulders and hushed her. "If they hear us, we are doomed!"

"Perhaps you should have considered this before you relinquished the power of the seas to Beckett!" Rose cried, ignoring his attempts to quiet her. "You could have protected them by staying with them!"

He still had a hold of her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. She gasped at the sudden burst of action, but fought back, trying to scream out. He shoved a hand over her mouth and kept her still. She stared at him directly in the eyes, letting the tears fall, but he wasn't looking back. His eyes were on the door. Once he was convinced that she wouldn't cry out, he slowly let his hand fall from her mouth. Rose's heart pounded, as she was unable to predict his next move. The first thing Jack had ever taught her was to never trust a pirate— and not only was this man a pirate, but for years he had obsessed himself with every motion of her brother, perhaps the most notorious pirate of them all. The perfect revenge for Jack Sparrow's insolence was harming his younger sister... Rose expected this inevitable end.

"Please," she murmured, eyes filling with tears once more. "I beg again. Whatever you are about to do, please finish it quickly and send me back to the line."

There was silence for a moment, and then he said, "You really believed all that I told Beckett out there? After all we've just discussed?"

Relief flooded through her, though she solemnly said, "Never trust a pirate."

"We are in a strict no-survivor policy. There had to be a reason why you were given privilege. The only reason is if I told them you were my mistress." He released her, returning back behind his desk. Rose remained frozen in place. He turned back to her. "I am genuinely sorry if I frightened you." When she said nothing, he continued. "I assure you, I only aim to aid in this process."

"And what aid could you possibly offer me, Admiral?" she asked.

"First," he began, "Call me James."


	55. Chapter 22 - Blind Rage

James had run through several options, then finally stopped at sending Rose to a cell. Before she knew it, she was being whisked away to a stony prison. Rose spent the afternoon there, and eventually warmed up to the dank place. True, half her day was spent in total darkness, but she did appreciate the view when daylight did grace her vision. There was a small hole in the corner of the wall made by cannon fire, which let in enough air during the day to ward off the humid heat of the island. The noise of the gallows's crank was still in her head though. She wondered who was being executed at that moment, as she sat in safety in her cell overlooking the ocean. That horrid memory kept her constantly on edge and in constant hesitancy to trust her relief at the help James was offering her, however mysterious and underdeveloped it was. There was still so much she did not understand about him.

Halfway through the day, she received a delivery. A plate of food with a note which read, "I'll send for you tonight."

That night, as promised, she was sent for in the form of an oafish official. Rose of course couldn't see him, but she could deduce by his wet cough and scuffling feet that grace and poise were not his strong-suits. This man was Richards, the same guard who had brought her to James in the first place.

"Come on then!" he barked in a cockney accent. Rose stood and walked a few paces slowly in his direction before he finally lost his patience and yanked her out of the cell. As they made our way across what was the courtyard square where she had nearly been executed that morning, he decided to strike up a conversation that ended up being very one-sided, as he threw obscenities and vulgarities at her the entire trip over. She said nothing, and took all of the verbal abuse silently and with grace.

They came to a stop, and she heard the door open. The light on the inside of the room was so dim that her eyes were still blind to her surroundings. She heard James thank Richards, close the door and listen for a few seconds behind it. When he decided that Richards had posted himself far enough away, he joined her where she stood staring at nothing.

Rose heard him move in front of her. "My apologies," he said. "It occurred to me upon sending the food and the note that you might not be able to read." He waited for some sort of response from her, but she said nothing. Finally, he tried again, "It said—"

"I can read!" Rose barked.

"Very well, very well," he surrendered. "Not many of you can. That's all."

She didn't know what else he wanted from her, so she merely stop there silently, unable to see anything. Finally, he grew annoyed and asked, "What in the world is so interesting on my wall that you can't be bothered to look away?" he finally asked.

Rose was still so on edge, she had forgotten that James truly knew nothing about her except the fact that she was Jack's half-sister. "Oh. I have neglected to tell you about my blindness."

"You're blind?"

"Only in darkness. Ever since I can remember."

"My word," he said. "Well, I can get more light in here if it would help—"

"The room would have to be practically on fire for me to see anything at all."

"Ah," he said. "Well that still explains a lot. Here," he led her across the room and helped her sit on what felt like a makeshift bed.

"The good news about being my figurative mistress," he said, "Is that you get to spend the night somewhere other than a cell." Rose felt around the bed with her hands, and helped herself down as he returned to his desk, which seemed to be but a few paces off.

After a few more silent moments, Rose asked, "Commod—I mean, James?"

"Mm?"

"I've been thinking about it, and I cannot quite comprehend why you are doing this. Bringing me here? Keeping me alive for this long?"

He sounded closer to her when he asked again, "Where is it?"

Rose couldn't help but feel a bit infuriated. "Where is what?" she asked, although she plainly knew to what he was referring.

"Where are they meeting?"

Rose tried to keep herself calm as she replied placidly, "I've already told you. I don't know."

"I don't believe that," he replied, sending chills running through her. "You're the daughter of the Keeper of the Code. You're bound to at least have a name."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she snapped. "Just because I am the unfortunate offspring of someone important doesn't mean I am simply graced with his knowledge on secret information! I haven't seen Teague since I was a little girl!"

James replied calmly to her outburst, as though nothing had transpired. Quietly, he countered, "You seem to think it is foreign to me that pirates do not make good parents."

"That's an unfair statement," Rose fumed.

"Oh is it?" said he. "I've seen them. Unwanted children coming here in droves. Left at Church doorsteps, handed off to clergy or orphanages. Accidental products of promiscuity."

"Not all pirates are like that!"

"Name one."

Now that Rose considered it, she couldn't name a single pirate who was a model parent. Not even her own mother. The most responsible, loving figures she bore witness to in the past were outsiders, like Desiree, Tia Dalma, and Bootstrap, who were an extension of family.

James snorted, taking her silence as a response proving his point. "I will admit," he said, "It isn't just pirates who make poor examples of parental guidance." He took a large intake of air and moved on to another thought. "That doesn't mean you don't know even the slightest bit of information as to where the pirate lords are meeting. That infernal song has already graced us with its presence here at the barracks."

Rose turned her head away from the direction of his voice, saying harshly, "Oh I know it has." She knew from his icy silence that there was no way that Rose could trust James. He had already deceived Jack, Elizabeth, and Will for his own good. There was no other reason why she was being kept alive.

He tried, "Or perhaps you know someone else who could tell me something?"

"Everyone I ever knew is gone," she instantly replied in monotone.

He stopped speaking for a time after that. She heard the creak of his chair, and she had supposed that he had leaned back, deep in thought over what move to make next. Rose so desperately wished that she could see him. Was he watching her, calculating whether or not she was telling the truth? Writing out her orders of execution? What?

Silence fell between them for several minutes, until Rose blurted, "I understand if the guards come for me tomorrow. You did the best you could. It seems that I have outgrown my usefulness to you."

"Oh you're usefulness has yet to be extracted," James growled. "I will find out what secrets you keep, Teague."

"Hexfury!" Rose spat through gritted teeth.

James snorted. "Not sure why I expected anything less from your family. Sparrow? Hexfury? You think that some ridiculous surname will separate you from your past. You _really_ don't wish to be associated with your father, do you? Either of you! What did he do to you two?"

Rose pursed her lips. She had already revealed too much to Norrington by admitting her relationship with Jack in the first place. She was not about to just give up personal life details. "I am not obliged to say anything to you as your _mistress_ , James."

"But you are obliged as my prisoner."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Rose. "Hold on a moment, why didn't you tell the guards I was an affiliate of Jack's when you rescued me? Why lie about my being your liaison at all?"

She could hear the creak of his chair again as James leaned in closer to her. "Would you prefer that cell be without food? Or perhaps brutal interrogations by officials not nearly as merciful as I? If this would more suit your fancy, I could _easily_ make those arrangements! By your leave, Ms. Hexfury!"

Rose sneered, "Do it, then! I have nothing more to tell you." Her fury began to build as the words poured out of her mouth like molten rock. "Have them beat it out of me. See if I care! Everyone and everything I love is gone and probably will never return, realistically speaking. What else could you possibly do to me? Get the guards! End it now!"

When she heard no response, no movement, but still could tangibly feel the heat from his presence near her, she yelled out again, "End it!"

After a sigh, she heard him quietly shift positions, approaching their impasse from a new angle. "Listen to me," he said intently, "I will tell you exactly why I gave the guards our lie if you make me a few promises. Can you do that?"

Rose considered this, then gave a slight nod once she convinced herself that pirates could always break a promise if need be.

"First," James said, "Each night, when I send for you, you are always to come to maintain the illusion. Each day, you are not to speak a word to the guards. Anything you reveal can be used against you here. Understood?" When Rose grunted a yes, he proceeded with, "Next, if you don't wish to sleep on cold stone floors, you must agree to stay in here without killing me, maiming me, or making an escape attempt. I have guards posted right outside that door. They will _instantly_ catch you. Although it's not like you could get very far with your eyesight condition. If it's even real."

"Oh I assure you, it is," Rose hissed.

"Regardless," James countered, "Your attempts to best me will be futile. Take the opportunity I am offering you to rest and heal here. Do I make myself clear?"

"I promise not to attack you unless you attack me," Rose stated plainly.

"Fair enough," James replied. "Rest now," he then said. "We've run our course tonight."

Rose gulped, slowly lowering herself onto the cot and turning towards the wall so that her back was to him. She heard him settle back into his chair, and for awhile they were quiet. But then she couldn't help but give one final jab, "You picked the wrong person."

"Did I?" he said in monotone.

"Aye," she said, turning her head back towards him. "You could have saved _anyone_ out there. Every minute of every blasted day on this wretched island you hear them: the crank of the gallows, the snapping of seven necks at once. Seven lives. You could have saved one, just _one_ who might have told you where this supposed meeting place is. Just one who would have cared if they saw another day." She turned back to the wall. "You have gotten neither person with me. You wasted your chance."

She heard him sigh, then say slowly, deliberately, "Don't think for a moment that I approve of what's going on out there."

She sat up, yelling, "So stop it, then!"

"IF I COULD, I WOULD," he shouted back. Then, quieter, he explained, "It is no longer in my ability to implement change as it once was. I'm the Navy. They're the Company. They own _everything,_ even our King." He took another moment, as though it had never occurred to him just how terrifying this truth really was until just then. He then added, "I chose you because when I saw you, I saw someone from my past and I could not bear to let the Company abuse you until they got information from you, then just send you off to the gallows again. I could not abide it."

 _So Norrington does possess a soul…_ Rose thought to herself, somewhat impressed by this surprise change in character.

"Rest," he said again, and this time she obeyed. She had said all she needed to say.

He, however, hadn't. "Perhaps tomorrow you will have a change of heart and will correctly decide to tell me all that you know."

Rose gulped, closing her eyes as if she was in another one of her nightmares. James's voice cut through the silence one final time. "Hopefully this change of heart comes soon, because I could perhaps arrange some sort of leverage. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll be taken out of my charge by the Company themselves, and this will all have been for nothing."

Although her heart pounded at this dilemma and certain death sentence, sleep came easy to her. Her body needed time to recuperate from the stress of the day, though the rest was uneasy. Her mind raced with the knowledge that she could _not_ afford to trust Norrington in the slightest. This was not going to end well.

* * *

The next day, she was stirred by two armed guards. It was light inside the room, and Rose noticed that James was gone, most likely on a call to any number of duties on the island. She was led back to her cell, lit only by a beam of light beating down hot and solitary.

As the day went on and Rose was able to marinate in her thoughts in isolation, she grew to become surprisingly at ease about her impending execution. She no longer wished for anything else. She had accepted the fact that Jack and the _Pearl_ crew were all gone forever, and soon all of pirate-kind would follow suit. The East India Trading Company controlled Jones, and soon all of the seas would be regulated as a commodity. Rose could at least live with the fact that she was not responsible for giving away the location of Shipwreck Cove to the enemy, perhaps offering her brethren a few months to make a decent escape.

The only thing Rose feared was the uncertainty of when she could expect her own death. After a few hours on her own, the thought of someone else taking her life with a simple flick of a trigger began to sound less and less appealing. If Rose was going to die today, she would die by her own means.

The gap in the wall was large enough and jagged enough to do the trick. She had calculated it so that she could repeatedly beat her head against the sharpest edge. She could probably bleed out while she was unconscious. Problem solved.

Rose neared the edge and took a shallow breath. She closed her eyes and felt her heart beat for the final time. Leaning her temple against the sharp crevasse, she allowed her eyes to open and gaze out across the open ocean. She had wished for so much more.

 _I'll see you soon, Jack_ , she thought, as she leaned her body away from the edge, just to hurl it at top speed into contact with the piercing rock face.


	56. Chapter 23 - Not So Different After All

Richards woke her up at dusk by delivering a swift kick to her side.

She moaned as she blinked awake. A throbbing headache greeted her before Richards could. He was making yet another crude comment, probably something having to do with her obvious suicide attempt, but she was too preoccupied reaching up and touching the dried blood along the right side of her face.

She had even failed to take her own life. Never before had Rose felt so defeated. All sounds seemed to fade into the background as she felt herself be hoisted by the shoulder to a standing position. Almost as though she was floating, as she unenthusiastically moved with Richards from the cell to James's room once more. Her eyesight was diminishing with the receding daylight, but all she clearly could understand was two things: no one had yet ordered her execution, and she had not succeeded in killing herself. So? Her prison sentence went on.

James opened the door to his room, and Rose could only catch the slightest glimpse of his alarmed expression before he along with everything else around her disappeared into the shadows of the night.

She heard the door click behind her, and James said, "My god! What happened to you?"

"I fell," Rose said listlessly.

"No you didn't!" James replied angrily. "This looks intentional. What did you do?"

She sighed. There was no point in trying to hide this. She had nothing to fight for anymore. "As you said, it will only be a matter of time before guards will come to take me to the gallows if I continue not to speak."

He didn't answer her immediately. He had left to retrieve a water basin and cloth. He placed both on a side table next to her. "Clean yourself up," he quietly demanded.

She carefully reached over to her left where the basin was located, finding the water without issue. The cloth was another matter entirely. She couldn't find it with her mind's eye. Finally, James took pity on her, taking her right hand and guiding it to the cloth. His guidance ended there however, as Rose was now forced to discover for herself where the dried blood had crusted on the side of her face.

After a few minutes of working Rose saw shadows shift in the room, noting that James had moved so that he was kneeling close to her side. "Why is it that you possess no desire to live?" he asked. "I have never seen someone so keen to end it all as much as you, and I believe I have had it far worse than you have."

Rose let her hand holding the rag fall into her lap with a thud. "Is that so?" she spat. "Was your mother killed for exhibition?"

"No," he said calmly.

"And did you watch as your love was killed right before your eyes?"

"No."

"Were you pawned off as someone else's slave for most of your life?"

"…yes."

Rose stopped at this, swallowing her bitterness. She had no idea who this man was, and she suddenly was full of remorse. She tried to think of something to still make her point while moving on from this issue, but there was nothing she could find to vocalize.

James quietly asked, "Have you ever killed anyone?" Rose didn't realize at first that he was imitating her question-answer technique of a few moments prior, until he pointedly didn't move on from his question. She quickly replied, "No."

"Have you ever let someone die?"

"No."

"Several people?"

"I understand your point," Rose said.

"I'm not certain that you do," he countered. He continued questioning her. "Have you ever lost someone's affections?"

"Yes," she said firmly.

"Ever disappointed anyone?"

Her mind flew to the last time she saw Jack. How dismayed he was that she was staying behind to help his enemy. "Yes," she gulped.

"Done something that could never be undone—"

"Stop…" Rose said. She didn't want to feel the emotions coursing through her.

"No matter how hard you've tried?" James finished.

"YES!" Rose cried. "Yes I have! Are you satisfied?"

"Do you feel utterly alone?"

"Good god, please stop with the questions…" Rose pleaded.

"What I am trying to say is," James explained, "You and I are not as different as you think. I see many similarities between the two of us."

Rose furrowed her brow. "I didn't get to this state by choice."

"And you're suggesting that I _did?_ " he said incredulously.

"You had control over what happened to you. I didn't have that freedom."

His voice flared with anger as he muttered intensely, "Control? For my entire life I have fought for success, and around every turn I have found only sorrow. I saw an opportunity to regain former glory and I took it. And you dare say that I had _control_?"

Rose felt sorrow for him, but still had a point to make. "You could have let us go in Tripoli. That whole incident with the hurricane…"

He sneered, "Don't make assumptions about my choices! I would have ended up in the same place as I am now!"

Rose retorted, "Don't _you_ then assume that you have it worse than I do because you seem to believe that I have had an easy life compared to yours!"

"Aye, the many horrors of living a carefree life with the luckiest pirate in the Caribbean," he spat sarcastically.

Rose scoffed, "And I should say the same for a wealthy Naval officer who has his marriages arranged for him!"

She clenched her jaw defiantly. James only brooded, "You really believe they are dead?"

 _He means Elizabeth,_ thought she. "If they aren't," she said breathily, "Your attempts will still be futile, I am sorry to say. She loves Will. That's that."

"No," he said firmly. "This I know. We have all made our final choices at this point." He moved away from her and sat back behind his desk. "All, that is, except for you."

She sighed. "And what choice would that be?"

"To survive or give up."

She shook her head. "You say that as though I have a say in the matter."

"I'm giving you a say." When Rose said nothing, James continued, "Would you _like_ a say?"

"Depends on the cost. There's a cost to everything that must be paid in the end," she said, with Tia Dalma in mind.

He said quietly, "I might be hardened to many things, but I am not immune to the horrors of what currently befalls piracy. Yes, I believe piracy is a horrid reign of thievery and vandalism that must be stopped but this," he said, alluding to Beckett's tyranny, "This is not the way. I have been a pirate and I know that humanity can exist in these people. And I see that humanity in you. And I would like to help if I can."


	57. Chapter 24 - Prepared to Talk

When she awoke, James was gone again. Two guards arrived to escort her to her cell and the trend repeated. She received a plate of food with a note that promised another evening of deliverance, and shortly thereafter, a guard would arrive to lead her back to his room. That day, however, James had his door cracked to hear what her escort was insulting her with before she arrived, having heard what sounded like foul play occurring just outside his door. He heard him call her a "whore." The door immediately swung open and Rose's escort jumped in surprise.

"Oh! Sir, I...uh..."

"You would be wise to keep your comments about Miss Hexfury to yourself, Mister Baker," his ice cold voice sharply pierced. In spite of herself, Rose smiled at his efforts to protect her dignity.

"My apologies, sir. I didn't know you were standing there."

Rose could feel the chilling silence that proceeded. James then said to her, grabbing her hand and leading her inside, "Rose, if you would care to come in, I'll be right with you." He left her inside and joined Baker outside the room.

Rose quietly snuck toward the door, which James had forgotten to close all the way. She heard the exchange that proceeded:

"I couldn't help but notice, Baker, that you apologized for not knowing I overheard you, and not that you dishonored her."

"Honor, sir? She's a pirate! She has no honor!"

"She's still a woman, and I will not tolerate that language around her. Make that clear to your friend on tomorrow's night shift...and every shift forthwith! Or perhaps you would prefer that I take you all before Beckett and he can deal with you!"

Rose was beaming. That was until she heard Baker's unfazed response:

"Beggin' your pardon, sir, but you have no such authority over me."

"Excuse me?" asked James furiously.

"You fell into a disgraced state. And now you've returned and immediately began...let's call it _courting_ a pirate gal condemned to death. And keepin' 'er alive all this time. The men are prepared to speak."

Rose gasped silently. This life was not to last much longer. James would have no choice but to give her up, lest he himself be hurt, and Rose was not about to let that happen. Not after all the unwarranted kindness he had shown her.

James kept calm surprisingly well. "Is this to be blackmail, then?"

"If you care to call it that sir, then yes."

She heard James turn, to which she instantly backed up to avoid him knowing that she had overheard the conversation. But he never opened the door. She leaned forward again to hear what was now occurring.

She caught the tail end of James's intensely whispered threat to Baker. "...between you and me, then. If _I_ ever hear you say those things to her again, you will answer to me. Cut out Beckett altogether. Understood?"

This was not wise. If Baker was in the least bit spiteful, which it seemed that he was, he could rush to Beckett at any moment and give Norrington's plan away, whatever plan it was.

So engrossed was Rose at this new threat to his and her safety, that she never heard the door open.

"How much did you hear?" James asked softly.

Her silent response provided his answer. After a moment, he took her arm and led her to their typical conversing places.

"I don't care what they say about me," Rose finally said. "I've had far worse thrown at me in the past. And after all, I am a prisoner. I deserve no better than anyone else."

When he said nothing in response, Rose decided to change the subject. In a humorous tone, she mused, "I do wish that I could have experienced what it feels like to be on this island without being either in hiding or being hunted," Still silence. She added cautiously, "Each time I have been here, it's always had something to do with hangings. I'm sure it's a lovely island otherwise."

"You aren't missing much," he muttered.

"So…you live here? In this room?"

He was quiet for a moment, then he responded, "It might not be much better than a cell, but yes. I don't have any other home."

"Oh," she said simply. This was bewildering to her, as she assumed that an Admiral would have better facilities at his beck and call.

Reading her tone and assuming that these were her exact thoughts, James corrected himself. "I _did_ have someplace else, but…that's all gone now."

Rose nodded understandingly, then decided to change the subject. "It is a beautiful looking island, at least from afar. Certainly there must be good times here."

"It used to be that way," he said morbidly. "Perhaps it could have stayed that way had your half-brother not graced our shores with his presence. That's when things changed around here."

Rose shifted restlessly in her seat. "But surely it can't all be bad. For instance, what would one do for fun here?"

There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he replied, "Port Royal is nothing like Tortuga, Rose. And I am not the man to consult about leisure here."

She was not giving up that easily. "But what about dancing? Parties?"

"I only ever attended to make an appearance."

Rose leaned forward. "You are just about the most morbid person I have ever met," she said good-naturedly, giving a wry grin.

"Says the girl who not a fortnight ago said she had nothing left to live for."

Her face fell back into a somber expression as she stated earnestly, "If I am to remain living, I need something to look forward to."

"And what about you?" he said in a little more light hearted manner, leaning towards her. "What fun was there in the place you grew up? A pirate ship? Jolly good times pillaging and killing, eh?"

"I never lived there for long," Rose corrected. "But regardless, there's fun to be had anywhere."

He snorted. "Aye, trade places with me for a day and you'll see just what happiness exists in my world," he muttered again bitterly.

This did not phase Rose, for she merely leaned back against the stone wall and mused, "Just as you intend to crack the truth from me, I intend to find the fun in you, Admiral."

"The difference in our plans is that mine actually has a practical application."

"And mine doesn't? My god, when was the last time you actually smiled?"

He was silent for a moment, then gave a slight laugh as he reminisced. "I suppose it was Tortuga, now that you mention it. It was a rum-induced stupor, but losing everything has a funny way of clearing the mind. It showed me how the other half lives. And I had lived for so long thinking my life as good and theirs evil, and when I finally crossed to the opposite side of things…" His voice trailed off, and then he suddenly shut down with a sharp, "Never mind."

"No, what?"

He paused, until finally muttering, "It's just…suddenly I found myself to be the villain."

"Why?" Rose asked, her voice low.

"Because the villain never prospers in stories. I had been deceiving myself the whole time."

"Why return to your own life then, if you weren't happy?"

"I don't belong in your life, Rose. Yes, I was unhappy with mine, but at least I _could_ belong. Only now do I find that even that notion is pure fantasy."

Silence descended again, but his words were troubling. All of a sudden, sounds of rustling around stirred Rose from her thoughts. Before she knew quite what was happening, she felt James sit next to her. A cold glass object was pressed into her right hand, and she moved her hand up its shape to determine that it was indeed a bottle. Smiling, she took a sip of the rum, though she had never been much inclined to the taste before, she would make an exception to this moment of rare kindness from James.

"I took a page out of Jack's book," he explained. "Hate to admit it, but the fellow does have a point with the blasted drink." After, she passed it back to him, and they continued to pass it between them until the supply was depleted. The silence in this moment ballooned into mutual respect in this simple action of drinking together, but Rose found herself so immensely grateful for the temporary removal of all of James's defensive qualities.

She smiled warmly and turned towards her now relaxed and peaceful companion, saying in the kindest way she could muster, "I think you can find joy by being the hero in this world of villainy. I think you are doing the right thing— and I am not just saying this because it's my life you are saving."

Silence. Rose had no way of knowing if he was smiling in agreement or staring blankly into the dark void that he saw his life as. But she felt his arm press against hers, a simple action that emphasized all the support she needed.

Warm and soothed from the drink, Rose gradually lost all concept of space and time and let her mind drift off into sleep. Her mind remained relatively still until her recurrent nightmare began to encroach on her peaceful slumber. Everything was as it usually unfolded: she would run straight into Ben's arms, then he would suddenly shift, tossing her into a seemingly bottomless ravine. Ben's twisted, maniacal grin would grow further and further from her, and right as her body made contact with the ground, she would usually awaken, but there were times when Rose would not wake upon hitting the ground, and instead bathe in the immense pain that surrounded her broken body. Another man would then appear out of the shadows and begin to slowly piece her back together, though she too could not make out his face. Tonight, however, Rose caught her first glimpse of who this second man was, and the revelation jolted her out of the world of the dream and back into reality; the man piecing her broken body back together was James.

Rose quickly blinked awake, her pulse elevated. Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming into the room, and only then did she realize that not only had she and James had fallen asleep in the same positions in which they had shared the bottle of rum, but James was still asleep by her side, his head resting against the wall and her head resting on his shoulder. Gingerly, Rose sat up, still greatly disturbed by her dream. As her heartbeat slowed to a manageable rate, she took the opportunity to study him. She hadn't clearly seen him since the first day he had called her out of line, as every meeting proceeding had been at night. She had no idea that he didn't wear the wig when they were alone together, instead letting his natural brown hair show. He had a strong brow and jaw that seemed tense even as he slept, and Rose couldn't help but notice how swollen the areas under his eyes were. He was clearly under a great amount of stress, and she suddenly found herself thinking thoughts of concern about his wellbeing.

She looked away and stayed staring at various objects in the room until a knock from one of the guards posted outside stirred James and she was soon after taken back to her cell, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts and confusing emotions.


	58. Chapter 25 - Pirate

Night four.

Rose was deep in thought about what happened the night before as she stared out the hole in the wall. Throughout the day, she had to keep reeling her thoughts back in, for they raced away from her uncontrollably. In the dreams, James had repaired her. What did that mean? Would their encounter help fix whatever residual hurt she felt from losing Ben? What would do the fixing—his words? His insight about her life? …or could it be something more personal? She tried to shake these thoughts as they progressed, but she could not escape her sudden worry for his wellbeing, and near infantile musings about perhaps her finding a means by which she and James could both get away. He had opened up to her, and she trusted that he was a _good_ person…perhaps there was a way she could make a happy ending herself.

But then logic would once again fight its way to the front of her mind, and she would feel foolish and realize how erratic these feelings were. She drew her focus to the hole in the stone wall. If it was only slightly larger, she could escape, guaranteeing her safety, preventing any leaked information about Shipwreck Cove to the enemy, and protecting James once and for all. She found a nearby brick and started to pound away at the wall, trying to make the hole bigger. For hours she tried. Nothing budged. Before she knew it, the time had come for her to see James again, and she felt equal parts of both elation and dread at this fact.

Rose was being escorted to his room that night by Richards, the first disgusting guard she had encountered, when suddenly they entered a hallway she didn't recognize by sound or smell. It wasn't their normal jaunt across the courtyard. Instead, it was a different outdoor alcove, for she could feel rain from a nighttime shower as it poured down over her head.

"I hear you've taken quite a liking to the Admiral, Frenchie," Richards said over the pounding rain.

Rose remained silent as she usually did in these situations. It was better to silently receive their abuse than fight it.

"I hear he's taken quite a likin' to you too," he continued. "But that's not surprisin'. The Admiral would take a dog fer a mate after bein' passed up by the Governor's lass for a blacksmith." Her chest puffed with fury at this, but she could do nothing but stare straight ahead, blind to the aggression directed at her.

"Hear what I said, Frenchie?" Richards growled. "You're nothing but a mangy bitch!"

Rose didn't anticipate the first blow. She fell to the ground, completely disoriented. He delivered a swift kick to her stomach, which left her sprawled on the cold stone floor. She gasped for air as he pulled her back up by the hair and punched her about the head and chest. She flailed her arms wildly about, trying to find him to fight back, but it seemed as though his blows were coming from every direction at once.

She fell again, this time on her shoulder. She cried out for help, internally wishing for James. For Ben. For Jack. For her mother. But no one could hear her over the rain in this secluded part of the fort. Richards had been careful in his planning of this attack. When he had finally had enough, he grabbed her by the hair once more and dragged her up, forcing her to stand even though it was excruciating. She felt the sharp point of a blade poke her back, and she instantly began to walk forward across the sopping wet courtyard. Any time she let out even the slightest whimper in pain, he would prod her with the knife and grasp her tighter by the arm.

They arrived at the start of the corridor where James's office was. Rose could hear the conversing voices of several other guards down the hall, and she felt Richards release the blade at her back. A slight amount of relief fell over her at the thought that at least he wouldn't physically harm her any more tonight. However, he left her with a final threat when he leaned into her as she desperately gasped for air in anguish.

"This never 'appened, understood?"

She mumbled in faint agreement.

"Ye know they'll never believe ya, eh?"

Rose said nothing.

"You mention my name, to Norrington or anyone else, you and your lover are as good as dead. But never fear, Frenchie, at least you'll be hanged together," he wickedly whispered.

He then proceeded towards the office with her. As they were seen by the few other guards that stood by, Rose heard various exclamations at what she assumed was her mangled body.

"Bloody hell!"

"What happened here?"

"Did you find her like that?"

"Aye," replied Richards. "The wretch is clearly suicidal."

Rose fumed silently at the boldfaced lie, and listened to noises of pity emerge from the other guards.

One remained uncertain, however. "Is there a way one could inflict wounds like that upon themselves, though?"

"Could another prisoner be attacking her through the bars?" another asked.

Rose could feel Richards growing anxious at the speculation from his comrades. "For all we know, it's the Admiral," he said, voice tense and high.

"Do you think he would do something like that?" the first skeptic asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him. The Admiral's been though a lot. He's a hard man to read."

This answer seemed to be enough to qualm the remaining of the already limited few concerns the men had towards Rose's fate, and she next heard one of them knock at the door.

"My god!" James exclaimed upon seeing her. Furious, he looked to his men. "What is the meaning of this?"

Richards, feigning innocence, exclaimed, "No way of knowin', sir. I found her like that this evening, sir."

"Likely," growled James sarcastically. Rose felt the warmth of his hand touch her arm as he asked, "Rose?"

She could almost feel Richards' eyes pore into her like lightning. She swallowed her pride, pain, and fury, simply replying, "I'm fine."

James put his hand on her back and led her inside, slamming the door behind him and causing Rose to start. This surprise quickly was surpassed by another surprising sight—James himself. She could see him clearly tonight.

He set her on the bed and rushed for water. Sitting at her side, he began to clean the blood out of her hair and off her face.

"Tell me what happened immediately!" His voice was elevated with rage.

"I..." she struggled. "I can see you...how?"

He gave a concerned smile. "More lamps. I wanted you to be able to see tonight."

Rose looked around the room. Every nook, ledge, and available flat space contained a lit candle or oil lamp. She weakly laughed. "Thank you."

"Rose, you must tell me who did this!"

"Does it matter?" she muttered. "You know who is responsible; those who want you gone."

His eyes were sorrowful. "If I would have known, I wouldn't have sent for you. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course," Rose whispered. "I...I tried to escape today."

He gave her a skeptical look. "You promised me that this wouldn't happen. You went back on your word!"

Rose closed her eyes, sighing. "I thought it was the safest way. Then you wouldn't be responsible."

"I'll be responsible no matter what happens. I allowed for you to live, and therefore, escape." He continued to clean up her hopelessly damaged face, cursing the men responsible. Even though a part of her wanted to, Rose wouldn't tell him it was Richards who acted alone, lest he get himself into more trouble by killing him while she was asleep. Better to let him think he was outnumbered and save his life for one more night. Plus, there was Richards' threat looming over her head that he would find a means of killing them both if she did. No matter how much she wanted to see the bastard suffer for what he did, it was ultimately unwise to pick this one minor fight.

Finally, James said softly, "I have news of my own." Rose opened her eyes eagerly, hoping that perhaps he had a plan of escape. "Beckett called me into his quarters today. I am to take command of the _Flying Dutchman_. I depart tomorrow."

She deflated. "So the guards told him about me then."

He silently affirmed her concern. "Their intent is twofold. They put an official in charge of Jones, and while I'm gone, they will kill you." James looked at her to gauge her response to this news, but Rose was unsurprised at this development. She knew that certain doom loomed over every possible avenue of escape. James continued, "And I don't honestly see much of a future in it. There's a reason why Beckett's handing this task over to me. If Jones and his crew retaliate, and it would make perfect sense that they _would_ , I am the most expendable."

Rose swallowed any apprehension and had a moment of courage as she boldly suggested, "You can come with me."

He didn't skip a beat. "No," he said firmly. "They will find me. They will find you. And they will make our lives hell."

Rose smiled. "Our lives are already hell. They cannot possibly make it any worse."

He smiled back, not looking at her, but focused on his work. "Tell me," he said. "Why this sudden bout of hope after you wished yourself dead not but a few days ago?"

"You've given me the hope I lacked." Rose grabbed his hand to stop his progress. She struggled to sit up to address him. "There was no one left for me. I had driven them all away or lost them somehow. You accepted me without question. And that was particularly unlikely knowing my past and yours." She looked earnestly at him. "I did nothing but doubt that the _Pearl_ would return from the dead with Jack and Elizabeth and the rest of the crew," she said. "But now I question my doubts. Their odds are very good. They always were."

Though they had known each other but a few days, she was ready to give everything up for his sake. It was a curious thing, but she began to feel something close to the care she felt for Ben not that long ago. The affection she felt she could never trust because Ben himself did not share it. James was from a different world than she, but this did not deter her from her feelings. She leaned her head closer to his and said quietly, "I am not certain that you understand," He looked up into her eyes, and she searched his. "I _want_ you to come with me. We'll protect you."

"I..." he began. His eyes looked distant and uncertain. Rose put her hand over his comfortingly.

"I am begging you," she said. "Remember how you said you couldn't live with yourself knowing that you were free while you handed me over to be killed? I'm now in the same position. The only way for either of us to be satisfied is if we give the chance for us to both stay alive or both die. I know this!"

Her hand was still over his when she leaned in for the kiss. It was pure, but uninspired, as though James was not returning the affection. No different than Ben after all. She pulled away slowly, but just as she did, he leaned in for another, which utterly confused her. But when that had finished, they looked at each other for a moment, and he placed an unsteady hand on her cheek.

Rose laughed through a smile, and she leaned in closer toward him. Her face fell solemn when she decided at once to tell this man the truth, thereby revealing what he had wanted from the start. If this was to be their decided fate, their escape plan had to begin with their destination, and Rose couldn't afford to keep it concealed any longer. "I _do_ know where the pirates will be going."

He cocked his head. "Where?"

"You mean, you wish to go with me?" she asked.

"As soon as we can!" he murmured.

"You really mean it?" Rose beamed.

He nodded. "You said you know where the pirates are fleeing? Where is that?"

She answered without hesitation. "It's called Shipwreck Cove. It's a pirate fortress. There are people there who can help us. You said you had heard the rallying song, aye?"

"Aye," he replied.

"As the song has been sung, the pirate lords are convening. Which is why Jack must be saved. He is the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean."

"And how will we get there?"

"Barter with pirates. I grew up not far from there, but I'm not certain how to get back. It's uncharted territory, but every pirate captain worth his weight is sure to know the way."

James leaned away from Rose, and nodded solemnly. Then, he cried out toward the door, "Guards!"

"What?" Rose said. But less than a second later, six officials spilled into the room. James had stood, hands behind his back placidly. Two of them grabbed Rose by her forearms and hoisted her to her feet, while the rest were poised with bayonets, ready to strike.

Rose felt as though Richards had delivered another blow to her chest. "No!" she said. "This cannot be!"

James seemed to be looking right through her, completely ignoring her protests. "McCormick!" he called to one of the men. "Inform Lord Beckett that we have the name of the pirate fortress, and that our prisoner shall be executed with the rest tomorrow afternoon."

"But sir," the man known as McCormick protested, "Tomorrow's Sunday. No hangin's on Sunday."

"Quite right," replied James with a disturbing sense of calm. "First thing Monday then."

Rose writhed to get at him. The betrayal she felt was more than she could bear. "James, I trusted you!"

She felt a bayonet prod her in her side. "You shall address him as Admiral Norrington!" a nondescript voice barked.

She glared back at Norrington, furious tears spilling down her cheeks. Finally, he dared look at her, but his eyes were cold, distant, calculating. "Rose..." he began.

"How could you do this?" she spat.

He straightened up, brow furrowed. Turning away, he said curtly, "Take her away."

"No!" Rose cried, as the men began to drag her out, back into the rain. "NO!" she shouted. She planted her feet, and yelled to the back of his head, "Congratulations, Admiral. You just became the villain!" They pulled her from the room, where she continued screaming curses at him all the way back to her dungeon.

James had been called many things by many people throughout his life, and most of them were negative. _Coward, foolish, defeated, incapable…_ None of them hurt him nearly as much as these words from Rose: _Congratulations, Admiral. You just became the villain._


	59. Chapter 26 - Who's to have the Key?

"BASTARD!" Rose screamed out, alone in her cell. Although already in a great deal of pain from her beating earlier that evening, she threw herself against the iron doors in a hysterical fit. Again and again she charged at the bars, but nothing budged, and she wasn't heard.

 _"Read it again, Rose._ "

Rose instantly stopped her fit, swinging her head around, eyes wide. She shouldn't have been able to see anything, but there, in the utter darkness of her blindness, stood her mother, arms crossed.

Rose shook her head. "You're not real," she whispered. "You're just a vision from the past."

Anna gave a crooked smile and raised an eyebrow. " _Perhaps not, ma cherie. But do you know what is real? What you have just gotten yourself into."_

Rose began to pace her cell. "I know. That… _bastard!_ He betrayed me!"

Anna's vision suddenly appeared in her path, stopping her. " _I could have told you that, cherie."_ She then leaned down to peer into Rose's dark eyes with her own, glimmering purple pair. _"Did you think he loved you?"_

"I…I don't know!" Rose said in a panic, running her hands through her matted hair. "He…he made me believe that he wanted to help me. And I thought that we were so similar…" She began to cry. "He did it just to get me to trust him, didn't he?"

Anna gave a slight nod. " _The Admiral's a clever man. You were foolish to let your guard down."_

Rose felt a pang of anguish at these words. She turned away. "I know," she said demurely.

Just like that, Anna materialized in front of her once more, again blocking her progress. _"I don't think you do. Did my pain teach you nothing?"_

"He's not like my father!" Rose protested. "How could I learn from your mistakes when I saw no similarities?"

 _"He is exactly like your father!"_ cried Anna. _"All men are the same, cherie. Even your beloved Benjamin._ " Rose was visibly shaken at the mention of Ben's name, and this vision of Anna capitalized on this visceral reaction. _"Or is it that you have forgotten your love already? How long has he been dead again?"_

"Stop it!" Rose spat.

" _You seem to have moved on rather quickly to another man. Another heart."_

"Ben never loved me!" Rose shouted this, and when she did, she took a moment to realize the truth of her words. She had heard Tia Dalma tell her this many months ago when she was initially mourning Ben, but never was it real until she was speaking it aloud now. "He…he never loved me. He needed my help, nothing more."

 _"Aye, as did this one. Ben needed your help, and you gave it all to him. The Admiral needed your information, and you gave it all to him."_ Anna sneered as she continued, " _Edward's other child only needed you when it was convenient for him."_ She then leaned closer to her daughter. " _When will you learn, cherie, that there is no one else in this terrible world but you? If you do not put yourself above all else, if you trust anyone else but yourself, this is how you meet pain."_

Rose recoiled. "Aye! I gave everything I had to help people who hurt and used and sometimes even hated me! But I'm not like you, maman. You trusted no one and where did that get you? You were bitter and alone until the day you died!"

Anna opened her arms out wide and looked around. _"Et vous? Are you not alone and destined to die here in a fortnight?"_

Suddenly, a smile formed across Rose's lips. "No, maman. I was never alone, nor am I now, nor shall I die in a fortnight." Her eyes shined as she murmured, "I must go to Shipwreck Cove."

 _"Pourquoi, cherie? To warn them all before they die?"_

"Precisely. I must go to them." Rose started to pace again as she thought. "I must make up for what I've done and make it to Shipwreck Cove to warn them of what awaits them. The song has been sung, so the pirates are convening as we speak. Pirates from all over the world will be there…"

 _"And who else do you think will be there?"_ Anna asked from behind her.

Rose stopped. "Father."

Anna came around so that she was in front of her daughter and looked at her skeptically. " _And you honestly believe he'll help you? After how he treated you? After how he treated me?"_

Rose grabbed hold of the two mother of pearl pendants. "With Jack gone, he'll have no choice but to hear me this time."

Anna rolled her eyes. " _Once again a slave to man, cherie. I did not raise a daughter to be subservient to anyone."_

 _"_ You didn't raise me!" Rose screamed out. Anna cocked her head to the side, interested in her outburst, but radiating a silent rage beneath her expression. Rose continued, "You gave life to me and taught me English, _that's all._ You know who raised me? Desiree. Jack. Bill Turner. The McHenry's. Tia Dalma. I know not my parents, for you were just as absent as Teague was! And I am _no one_ 's slave!"

With this, she turned from Anna's vision and paced once more. She began talking out a plan to herself. "The pirates must fight if we are to end this. Yes, I have given up the name, but that's all they have! I can beat the Company there, and we can rally every pirate ship that still sails! The only matter at hand is my escape…" Rose then realized how massive this one hitch in her plan truly was, and she stopped. She turned her head. "How will I…"

Anna was gone.

"…escape?" Rose finished.

 _Read it again, Rose,_ she heard her mother's voice tickle her ear as though blowing past her through the wind.

"I must escape," whispered Rose.

* * *

"Hello?"

Rose stirred at the sound. She blinked awake, but still could see barely anything. This was in part because though it was morning, dark clouds still warranted an utter downpour outside, preventing much sunlight to enter to the soggy world beneath it. The other part was that in the night, one of Rose's eyes had swollen shut. She reached up to touch it, but recoiled at the pain.

"Rose?"

She swung her head around so that her one good eye could see the man who was addressing her.

 _Norrington._

"Leave me alone, miscreant," she hissed. She turned her head away, dismissing him.

He stood taller. "You are still my prisoner and you shall hear what I have to say."

She snorted, head in her hands. "I believe I am prisoner under His Majesty the King, Admiral."

"Will you kindly stop this charade and come here?" His voice was lowered and urgent, and got her attention. Skeptically, she limped toward the cell door where he stood on the other side. She grasped the iron casually and sardonically. "What is it, _pirate?"_ she spat.

"Stop that," he ordered.

"Why should I? You are as much of a lying, deceitful knave as the rest of us, yet somehow you've evaded the hangman's noose. How is that, _pirate?_ Is it because you deal in trading away other people's hearts? Jones's...mine... _"_

He blinked a few times, then proceeded, changing the subject. "I'm leaving today—"

"And you wished to say goodbye to your 'gypsy lover?' I appreciate the gesture but I—"

She yelped when he lunged at her. He did not strike her, however. Instead, he reached his hands around hers, which clung to the iron bars. He gripped firmly, and looked straight into her eyes. His gaze leapt from eye to eye, as though his were searching for something hidden beneath hers, or perhaps trying to send some nonverbal message. For some time, they stayed like this, and Rose was completely on edge, searching to find some meaning by this action.

What she didn't know was the importance of that moment for James. When he looked at her, even though he could only see into the one eye of hers that wasn't swollen shut, he saw in her the same downturned eyes as her father. Her father's eyes had haunted him since the day he, at the time only a small boy, slipped into the frothy depths of the Caribbean, crying out for help against the crashing waves. The only help that came was the owner of those dark eyes, who delivered him back into the care of the half-drowned boy's father. But care was there none, for the cold-hearted man weighed his son's life against a code of honor, and alas found the boy expendable. The boy had been rescued by the enemy, and he was no longer worthy of his father's approval, though he would chase it for the rest of his life.

His father had dismissed him, leaving the boy alone and humiliated on deck. Crestfallen and freezing, he looked to the ship of his rescuer, which was rapidly fleeing the scene. His eyes met a similar pair that did not belong to his rescuer, but to a boy not much older than himself. This boy had kohl-rimmed eyes and black tousled hair that was confined with a red bandana. His eyes radiated sympathy at the boy, but the boy only sneered back at him. The boy's heart grew black to this young pirate and all his kind.

The same eyes of the rescuer and his sympathetic son looked at the boy now, though this time they belonged to a woman, and the boy was now a man. It had become instinct for him to hate these eyes, be it father or son, but no matter how hard he tried, James could not bring himself to hate the daughter.

At last, he broke the silent tension by saying softly, "You need to keep up your strength. I've brought food."

She recoiled, pulling her hands out from under his. "I don't need your help!"

He stood straighter. "I think you'll find the bread in your best interest."

"Leave me alone!" Rose cried, standing back. He said nothing, nor moved. "Don't you have a pirate fortress to raid?"

"Indeed," he said stoically. "I am going to a place that you cannot go."

Rose sneered, "And that gives you some sick pleasure, does it?"

James glanced over his shoulder towards the stairs, where an armed officer stood guard, then looked back, once more keeping his voice low. "You _cannot_ go," he repeated.

Rose was bewildered by this strange utterance. Of course she couldn't go! She was to be hanged the next morning! What was he saying?

He moved back to where he had a plate of food prepared. He grabbed the bread, leaned close to the bar, reaching his hand through one of the squares. His outstretched hand held the bread out to her. "Take it." She didn't move. "Please!"

And finally, she did take it, however hesitantly. His hand brushed hers as they made the exchange, and his hand lingered there as he gave her a pointed look. He weaved his arm back through the bars, and gave her a final nod.

"Farewell, Miss Hexfury," was all he said. And he was gone.

She watched him go, followed by the guard that had accompanied him inside the cellblock. She then sat back down where she had been resting before she had been interrupted. True, she was hungry, but the entire exchange had put her off her appetite. She held the bread roll in her hands, and looked down at it.

Obviously, James was trying to tell her something. As Rose no longer trusted him, she did not expect him to be on her side in the slightest. Her first thought was poison. Maybe he had taken pity on her to give her a fast, painless death. Maybe, in this case, the bread _was_ in her best interest.

Although...

She rolled around the bread in her hands, and found a small incision in the side. She tore it apart, revealing a small key, with a note that read:

 _Leave only after you see my ship clear the harbour. Consider this a promise fulfilled.  
_ _-James_

Believe it or not, Rose still has that note, as well as the key. I've seen them myself. The key she wears on a strip of leather around her neck while the note is rolled into a vial that she keeps tied to her belt. She says she keeps then because of the weight of its importance to her. "Someone had my safety at the forefront of their mind, and in a time of such loneliness and confusion, it was at least good to be worried about," she says.

At the time, Rose was confused and uncertain about James's intentions in allowing her the power to be free, but she had little time to ponder that at that moment. She was not going to die there, nor did she want to anymore.

She had to help her people.

She had to beat Beckett, James, and Jones to Shipwreck Cove.

She did as she was told, and waited several hours for James's ship to be loaded and sail out of the harbor. As soon as it was out of sight, however, she dropped the roll and ran to the door. A guard was just outside the main door, so she could unlock herself without being noticed. She slid the key in and freed herself without effort.

Noiselessly, she ran up the stairs and approached the door, which opened outward. If the guard was doing his job correctly, he would be stationed directly in front of it. She positioned her hand over the handle, and silently counted down.

 _3...2...1...NOW!_

She gave the push all her might, and she felt the door come into contact with a body and slam it into the opposite wall. She ran out, looking back to ensure that she had knocked the guard unconscious. Rose nearly let out a whoop of joy when she realized that it was Richards who she had knocked out! She dared not dally too much in her state of elation, however, so she took off across the courtyard.

There would be no hangings today, as it was Sunday. Therefore, she was clear from danger in the square as long as she raced across the cobblestone at top speed. She heard the sound of aggravated voices coming down the corridor after her, which forced her to run faster still, out of the stony prison and down to the docks.

As she ran, her mind raced with all the things James had said to her. _I'm going to a place you cannot go. You_ cannot _go._

She slowed her pace when she realized what he was trying to say. He was telling her subtlety to go anywhere but Shipwreck Cove, as it wouldn't be long before they found its location now that they had gotten the name of the fortress from her. He was trying to keep her safe from the inevitable raid on the fortress and the slaughter of thousands of her kind.  
 _Apologies, Norrington,_ she thought, quickening the pace of her run towards the docks once more. She knew in that moment that the only way for her to save the lives of her people was to undo the damage she had already done.

She was off to Shipwreck Cove.


	60. Chapter 27 - Away

Rose ran as fast as her legs would carry her, rushing down the hill to small strip of beach that stretched the length of the harbor beneath the docks. She must have been quite the sight in her tattered and worn garments from Singapore, so she mostly kept to the shadows, pausing now and then to let the occasional passerby meander past her before proceeding. Halfway through the docks, she suddenly turned the opposite direction and rushed to the east side of the island. _Will's blacksmith shop._ If she was to gain passage aboard a ship of any sort, she would need protection. The blacksmith shop where Will took her and Ben before he rescued Jack would be the perfect place to restock.

She retraced the path she thought they had taken. It lead her to a dead end. She backed up and took another route. After some time of wandering hopelessly lost about the town, she finally saw the sign of the shop in the distance. She listened for any sound of movement behind the door, and when she found none, shouldered the door in and grabbed the nearest sword she could find.

The place had fallen to ruin since Will's departure, and the unmistakeable scent of brandy was stagnant the air. No inhabitant was present that she could find, however. Will's old employer must have been out to Church today, probably to seek recompense for his alcoholism. She searched the quarters with haste, finding a sheath and a sword sharper than the dull one she first grabbed, as well as a flintlock pistol. She found enough bullets and powder to last her, at most, a day. Regardless, it would do for what she needed at that moment.

Rose raced back to the docks as quick as she could. She spotted a small merchant cruiser nearby. _Perfect_. She slowed her pace and walked confidently, pistol cocked, toward the solitary inhabitant of the vessel.

When he looked up, he immediately dropped his work and raised his hands over his head in submission. "Whoa there, I don't be askin' fer no trouble now!"

"And trouble will not find you if you step away from the boat," Rose said warningly. He quickly obliged, trembling. Keeping her focus on the man, she still had the pistol pointed at him as they traded places; him on land and her inside the boat casting off towards the open sea. She only let her aim fall once she knew she was safe and out of range. She unfurled the small sail and kept to the coast for a time until she knew she would be out of immediate sight of the fort. Then, she steered the ship out into the open ocean. She then took the time to go through the stolen boat's contents and see what she had pirated. Her heart fell when she found only a few pieces of hardtack, five bottles of rum and no compass. She didn't exactly know the way, and these supplies were not going to last her any prolonged amount of time. She wouldn't be able to navigate by starlight on account of her night blindness…so Rose had to rely on the position of the sun alone. She steered the boat southward, and hoped with all her might that that was the proper direction of Shipwreck Cove.

* * *

Though I've asked her again and again, Rose can't remember how long she was there. With her only form of drink being rum, many of her memories are blurry, and she can't recall just how long she was adrift. All she can remember was that it was not going well. She would spend long nights alone in total darkness, starting at every slight noise or creak of the boat that would sound. Then, she would blink and all of a sudden sunlight would be burning her eyes. She would have fallen asleep, having lost control of the boat's direction and being cast off god knows where. The afternoons would get so hot that sometimes all she would be able to do was lie down, using torn bits of her skirt as a shield from the harsh light. Sometimes, it was so inescapable, that she would simply lie down, letting the heat surround her and the let the sweat drip down her face.

It was on one of these excruciatingly hot afternoons that Rose felt something beat against her face while she had her eyes closed. She instantly sat up and recoiled from it, uncertain of what had just happened. She realized that instead of the blaring sun, everything seemed slightly darker. That's when she looked up and saw that she had sailed right into the shadow of a massive vessel, and more importantly, it was not alone. She had sailed right into an entire _fleet_ of ships.

"Oh god," Rose exclaimed, praying that it wasn't Company vessels that would lead her right back to Port Royal.

That's when Rose realized that the thing that had struck her was the end of a rope, for a man in the ship looming above her had slid down the length of the rope right into her boat, sword drawn and pointed right at her.

"Qui êtes-vous?" he barked.

 _French!_ Rose thought in elated joy! From his haggard appearance and language, Rose knew in an instant that these weren't Company men, they were _pirates!_

It had been so long since she had spoken her native tongue, but she was keen to try it again. "Monsieur, est-ce votre bateau?"

"Oui! Je voyage sous Capitan Chevalle."

 _Chevalle?_ If she wasn't mistaken, this was the Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean Sea!

"Qui êtes-vous? Où venez-vous?" the man cried again.

"Où est votre capitan?" she asked.

"Dans ce navire!" he yelled.

Rose was fully alert now. "Parlay!" she announced triumphantly. Declaring "parlay," according to the Pirate Code, meant that she could speak with the captain without any harm coming to her.

"Comment?" he asked.

"Je declare 'parlay,' à parler avec Capitan Chevalle."

He nodded in understanding."Bien sur, mademoiselle."

She abandoned the boat and climbed up the side of the ship, which was a beauty in and of itself. This, however, was not Chevalle's ship, which was even _more_ grandiose and ornate. A gangplank was lowered between ships, and Rose crossed it to get escorted to Chevalle in his cabin.

Chevalle was a Pirate Lord, most obviously en route to Shipwreck Cove since the song has been sung. If Rose could secure passage to Ship with Chevalle through their meeting, all of her concerns would be settled. She had one chance. If Chevalle wasn't an understanding man, her voyage could end right then and there. Or, even worse, if she accidentally bungled her French that could spell her doom as well. Rose had no control over what was about to occur.

Once she had made in on deck, Rose found herself surrounded by the language. It was so familiar to her childhood, and certain words flooded her ears. _Who, girl, boat, where, who, who, who..._

"Dépechez-vous! Tout de suite!" her guide yelled. "Allez, mademoiselle!" he cried back to her. She shouldered past the crew, obediently complying with his demand to follow him. They entered a dark corridor, and thankfully the candlesticks on the wall provided enough light so that her eyes could still make out shapes ahead of her.

The man suddenly stopped, causing Rose to nearly careen into him. He ushered her into a nearby room pooled in light. It was large and lofty, much larger than the _Pearl's_ captain's quarters, although from the looks of it, this vessel seemed to be generally smaller than the _Pearl_. Rose gazed over the fineries within. Tapestries, silks, tea sets, silver trays, and a chandelier. _Yes,_ Rose thought, _Jack would envy a room such as this. He would even sacrifice his ship's size if it meant larger quarters for himself._

The sailor had rushed into the room after her and darted to a chair that sat at the far end of the room with its back to her. He quietly conversed with the chair for a few moments until he motioned back to Rose. The chair's inhabitant stood and revealed an elaborate powdered wig, that seemed to be lacking a bit of maintenance. When he turned, Rose knew at once that he was Chevalle.

He raised revealing a pencil-thin mustache, a powdered face and a judgmental sneer. "Parlez-vous francaise?" he quipped skeptically.

Rose actually found herself smiling at this. "Oui!" she replied.

"Vous avez invoqué le droit de 'parlay,' c'est vrai?" said he, ensuring that she had indeed invoked the right of parlay to speak directly to him.

"Oui, capitaine."

He stood and took her hand, bowing. "Je m'appelle Chevalle," he said. "Et vous?"

Rose fell into a bow herself. "Rose Hexfury, majesté."

Chevalle gave a brief nod. "Alors, parlez!" he demanded her to speak her purpose there. "Que faites-vous ici? Vous avez été retrouvé à la dérive dans un bateau, oui?"

"Yes, I- I mean, oui, mon capitaine." Rose replied, confirming his question that she was found adrift in a boat. "J'ai besoin votre aide. Je dois aller à Shipwreck Cove. C'est là que vous naviguez, oui?" If this was indeed Chevalle and his fleet from the Mediterranean, they undoubtedly were heading straight to Shipwreck Cove. She needed his help to get to there.

"Peut-être…" he replied mysteriously, clearly distrustful of her. "Êtes-vous un espion? Comment pouvons-nous vous faire confiance?"

 _How can we trust you?_ Of course Chavalle thought she was a spy—why wouldn't he? Pirates didn't just float adrift in the middle of the Caribbean Sea! Especially weaponless women. The enemy could be waiting to pounce at any moment. Rose had no choice but to once again reveal what was once her biggest secret; her parentage.

"Je suis la fille de—" Rose stopped at this. Even though it had been years since she had spoken French and she was communicating fine, she needed to prove she wasn't _just_ French. "Anglais s'il vous plait?"

Chevalle gave a great sigh, but ultimately gave her a dismissive wave to go ahead.

"Captain," she began, "It is in your best interest that you take me to Shipwreck Cove."

"This is very presumptuous of you," he said with a scowl. "Why don't I just set you back in your little bateau and you sail back to whoever sent you here?"

"I come alone, I promise," she pleaded. "I must be delivered, _unharmed_ to Shipwreck Cove. Your fate and the fate of pirate-kind depends upon it."

"Pourquoi?"

"I am the daughter of Captain Teague, monsieur." To this Chevalle only smirked, clearly unconvinced. "It's true, monsieur!" she insisted. She tried to think of a way to secure her place onboard, and when it hit her, she spoke it aloud without a second thought. "You see my appearance, non?" she said, motioning to the tatters of her dress. "I was captured and set adrift in that boat. My father has put out a reward for my safe return. _The Keeper of the Pirate Code_ has put out a reward for me! Do this, and you will benefit!"

Chevalle still looked uncertain, but the sound of a reward was too good to pass up. She was fed and the men were able to scare up a pair of trousers that fit her poorly and a shirt that she was able to tear and tie up to fit her better, and she very gratefully was finally able to abandon her disgusting garments from Singapore. The men clearly expected her to sit back and stay on as a passenger, but Rose had other ideas. She longed to steer on the wheel once more like she used to do on the _Pearl,_ and even on Captain Frees's ship, but this new crew was still very wary of her, and with good reason. She instead made use with the rigging and sail repairs.

She was given a hammock below deck, but didn't trust anyone down there enough to actually take it. She instead would sit up all night on deck. She got little if any sleep those nights. It wasn't that the sea was unruly, nor was it her typical nightmares. She just couldn't stop her restless mind from wondering what she would say to her father when she found him. What would he say in response? Would he say anything at all, or simply dismiss her as he did all those years ago? Was it even worth it to approach him, or should she just try to make her warning known without him?

All of these thoughts raced through her mind until they began all chattering at once and she had to stop thinking altogether. For a long time, she thought about nothing at all. Then, the quiet of the night shift ended and eager chatter started. A land mass had appeared in the darkness. This had to be Shipwreck Cove. Activity began though it wasn't yet dawn. Rose kept to herself in her spot on the deck, and waited until enough sunlight rendered her vision useful once more, then she watched as land grew nearer. What was once a speckled rock now had more definition. The ship turned to starboard, and they circled the island for some time until Rose saw a cavern. The ship slowly turned and entered into this break, which revealed itself to be an opening to a hidden interior, the silent and steadfast guard of yet another island, though this one was manmade.

And what a manmade marvel it was. Like a giant tree adorned with cooling embers, the fortress was illuminated throughout with hundreds of lanterns that flickered and danced with every gust of wind. The structure, if one even dare call it a structure, for there was nothing "structured" about it, stood about a league high, and was constructed entirely of broken ship components that had stacked up over the years. "Chaos" is a fitting word. Were it not for a haphazard dock, Rose would have never seen how it was possible to enter the facility at all, let alone utilize rooms within.

Perhaps even more impressive than this fortress was the amount of pirate ships that had docked in the harbor surrounding the u-shaped island mass. There were over a hundred vessels, some as big as the _Pearl_ , many much smaller. How many pirates had arrived already, and more importantly, how many were still to come? Rose searched the harbor desperately in the darkness for either the _Pearl_ or any ship appearing to be originating from Singapore, but she only had access to the sight of only half of the vessels as the fortress blocked her view the rest. She had to settle for trying to find her crew amongst the thousands of pirates inside. Every moment waiting to learn of their survival was agonizing.

The sun was well up by the time they found an adequate place to dock. Rose was among the passengers, supplies, and captain in the first long boat that worked itself to the East dock. With every meter they rowed closer, her anticipation increased, so much so, she almost leapt out of the boat on her own. She _would_ have too, were it not for the fact that Chevalle was right at her side, ready to scale the fortress to deliver her to her father.

As soon as she entered Shipwreck Cove, Rose found herself surrounded on all sides by people. Male, female, children, animals...they had taken up camp inside the facility on its base level. All of them— Arabs, Turks, Englishman, Irishmen, African, Indian. The chatter of contrasting languages was overbearing. The scent was overbearing. The sight of it all was...overbearing. Her senses were overwhelmed as she frantically scanned the crowd for a familiar face, but a familiar face found her none. Finally, out of the corner of her eye, she spied a young man scaling the side of a jagged and unorthodoxly angled wall via a rope ladder and disappear into the heavens through what had once been a crow's nest.

Ah! So there were several floors to be managed. As she would later come to discover, the crews of all vessels, of Pirate Lords or otherwise, could inhabit the town of Shipwreck that Rose was so familiar with or these lower floors of the structure. The third floor, the smallest and most fragile of the levels, held a large chamber that was reserved only for the reassembling of the Brethren. Rose discovered this because she and Chevalle's main posse climbed the rope ladders and ascended the crooked and broken stairs. They made their way up the staircase and spilled into the Pirate Lords' meeting room, which was entirely empty, or so Rose initially thought. Four great tables constructed of different varieties of oak were at the center, some in better condition than others, but they stretched at least the length of six horses when pushed together. A few paces in front of where they stood was a large globe that was nicked and porous. This was the globe that Jack had told her of, where the Pirate Lords stabbed their swords into the wood before each court's convening. Rose spun the globe to where the Caribbean was located and traced the sharp pierces in the globe's exterior. Had Jack's sword made this mark? Would he ever have the chance to make his mark?

That's when Rose stopped dead and she caught sight of a man who had been standing in the room unnoticed the whole time.

He wore a red coat, adorned with a black hat. His hair was long, and resembled Jack's. The kohl-rimmed eyes... this was her father.


	61. Chapter 28 - The Teagues

"Your daughter, Captain," Chevalle said, motioning to Rose with a flourish.

Rose just stared at Teague, wide-eyed in anticipation. Teague's expression was unwavering and unreadable, though he eyed her up and down. She could feel that he was about to deny this, so she gave a small movement, slowly lifting her left hand which clutched the twin pendants he had once given both Jack's and her mothers so many years ago.

She saw Teague recognize them, then look back at her with wide eyes. She raised a defiant eyebrow as if to say, _Go ahead. Deny me again. I dare you._

He sighed. "Aye," he growled, looking to Chevalle. Chevalle only stared back at him expectantly.

Teague kept his gaze, uncertain of what to do next. Finally, he said, "Thank…you?"

Chevalle continued staring, arms crossed over his chest.

"Father," Rose interjected, though the word felt uncomfortable on her tongue. "I was safely returned to you. Remember the reward you promised?"

She held her breath, waiting for his response. If he denied her claims, she could be killed right then and there. He looked at her, his eyes shooting daggers at her. After a silence that felt like it lasted for years, Teague finally conceded. "Aye, indeed. I had nearly forgotten…" He began to look around himself, trying to come up with anything that could be used as payment. When he couldn't find anything immediately, he then looked apologetically at Chevalle, only to find the French captain staring at his hand. Rose followed his gaze to find a find a large, red ruby ring reflecting light off of its sharply cut edges.

Teague noticed Chevalle's longing gaze, then bitterly glared at Rose, whose eyes glimmered with a challenge as she merely shrugged. Begrudgingly, Teague pursed his lips and yanked his hand out of the ring. "Your payment, Captain," he said in unenthusiastic monotone. "How can I ever thank you enough."

Chevalle happily pocketed the ring. Satisfied with the trade, he then approached Teague. "I could not help but notice that I am not the last to arrive. I do not see Barbossa, Sao Feng, or—"

"No," Teague cut him off before he could say Jack's name. Rose winced at the mention of those particular three missing Pirate Lords; They were all in cahoots after the Singapore attack. They most likely still hadn't returned from their journey to the Locker.

Teague continued, "We await them still, but the call is out, and I do not doubt their impending arrival." He clapped him on the back and led him and out towards the entrance, his men quick to follow. "In the meantime, resupply your ship, take advantage of the town and the tavern. Rest assured, we convene in no more than a fortnight."

Chevalle looked unconvinced. "But with so many ships here, the town will surely be overrun, its resources depleted, non?"

"Surely not, monsieur," Teague scoffed. "We are a fortress—the Brethren has met three times before, we are ready for anything."

 _Not anything,_ Rose thought gravely. But then she read Teague's stiff posture and forced grin, she realized something; _He's lying!_ she thought. The island was entirely unprepared to handle this many pirates just sitting in waiting for a missing third of their brethren that might never arrive. Resources were already scarce for pirates, and with thousands of crewman infiltrating the town, Rose shuddered at the thought of how little time Jack, Barbossa, and Sao Feng had to make an appearance, lest the Pirate Lords revolt and take their leave. They would all then be caught by the encroaching East India Trading Company upon making their escape, and Shipwreck Cove would be utterly defenseless.

Teague's words must have finally convinced Chevalle, for he was descending the stairs with his crewmen to make their way back towards the base of the structure and back across the cove towards the town of Shipwreck, where they would most likely discover just how scarce their resources were.

Once they were out of sight, Rose suppressed her trepidation at talking with this mysterious figure she never really knew, and remembered the task at hand; She had to tell Teague about the dangers that lie ahead for the pirates. She stepped forward to speak with him. Just then, however, he spun around to face her.

"You owe me a ring," he stated, voice level.

Rose scoffed. "Consider it payment for a lifetime of neglect."

Teague held up his hand to stop her. "Hold on a moment, now—"

Rose was quicker, however. "No, I'm not here for that. What's past is past. I come for more important matters." Without a second thought, Rose let it all spill out of her mouth. "The three Pirate Lords we await will most likely never come, at least not in a timely manner. Jack is dead. Barbossa has gone to retrieve him from Davy Jones's Locker."

Teague shook his head. "Wait, what are you—"

Rose continued as though nothing had changed. "He's in cahoots with Sao Feng. It's safe to assume that the three are together and have been detained in the Locker, if not dead altogether. We must convene without them."

"We cannot—"

"The East India Trading Company knows the name of Shipwreck Cove. It won't be long before they know our location, if they don't know it already."

"How—"

"I say you rally the Lords we have here, we take the ships and we fortify Shipwreck Cove's defenses. The reef should keep us safe from enemy ships unaware of it. It's the best chance we have."

"HOLD ON!" Teague roared. "Good lord, girl! You show up out of the blue, report to me that my son is dead, order me to break the sacred Pirate Code, the one _I_ manage and uphold…and even cost me a priceless ring, all in a manner of sheer minutes! Just a moment, please!"

"We don't _have_ a moment!" she protested. "We've already wasted so much time, and so many lives have been lost. Every moment we stand bickering over what action to take is another action lost. The enemy gains _that_ much ground over us! We must take the defensive!"

Teague laughed in disbelief. "You seem to think I hold some authority over the Brethren."

Rose only blinked. "Are you _not_ the Keeper of the Code?"

" _Only!_ " he replied. "That is my duty alone. I hold no power to convene them, let alone command them into battle! And even if I did, that would be _breaking_ the Code I keep!"

Rose furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure you realize how drastic of a situation we're in; The East India Trading Company has command over Jones. A… _fiend…_ stole his heart and returned it to Beckett, their commander. They have the most powerful ship in the world at their beck and call, but we have numbers on our side!"

"No, we don't," her father replied gravely. "How do you know all of this anyway? About the Company, about Sao Feng and…and Jack?" He took a moment, reflecting on this unexpected news of his son's death. "Why aren't you _with_ Barbossa if you know of his rescue?"

"Does it matter?" Rose asked. "I come here to warn you. Take what I'm telling you and act on it."

"'Does it _matter?'_ " Teague pointed at her hand which still clutched the pendants. "Are you not my daughter? Did I not just pay a reward for your return _because_ you are my daughter?"

"Because I _made_ you pay a reward?" she reminded him. "True, I am your daughter but that holds no merit now—the time for that has passed, and any residual bitterness is inconsequential now. We must ally ourselves for the good of those men out there!" She pointed out towards the rest of the island. "I have been to Port Royal, I escaped the hangman's noose, and I have seen and heard the executions. Our relation is superfluous now. I need _your_ help to fight this injustice."

Teague took this all in, then shook his head. He went over to the large meeting table and pulled out one of the many chairs surrounding it and sat down. He stayed there for awhile, head in one of his hands, still looking at her. She remained standing, wringing her hands in anticipation.

"You look like her, you know. Anna…" he finally said. Rose didn't know what to say, or even what to think, so for a time, there was nothing to be said. He finally decided on, "I knew this day would come. You would try to find me. The circumstances are a bit unexpected. And Jack…" his eyes grew distant in thought, but then he shook himself out of it. "He'll be fine. He's a clever lad, he's made it out of worse." He then looked back at Rose. "Jones finally caught up with him, aye?"

She nodded, taking a seat nearby.

"He stayed with you, then?" he asked. "After you left my ship?"

Rose nodded briefly. "More or less."

"And?" he prodded her for more details. "Where have you been? How did you get here?"

She instantly grew cold again. "It would take too long to explain," she quipped. "Maybe you shouldn't have dismissed me nearly two decades ago."

"Now wait a moment," he began to protest.

"'A gypsy changeling,' I think you called me? Isn't that right?" she spat.

Teague cringed at the memory. "Jack didn't know. About Anna. And I…I knew you existed. I didn't want to face that truth. It was hard enough raising a son. I couldn't take on a daughter as well."

" _Because_ I was a daughter?" she hissed.

"It wouldn't have made a difference either way."

Rose snorted. "Ah. It's my blood then, is it?"

Teague leaned forward in his chair, eyes aflame in anger. "You were a product of a lapse in judgement, nothing more."

Rose felt a deep pang in her chest at these words as the truth set in. Teague could see how these words affected her, and he gently tried to back out of them. "…as were much of my actions; a lapse in judgement. I should not have dismissed you as my daughter. I should not have driven Jack off. And Anna…there's much regret there."

Rose just stared at the ground. "As I said; What's past is past. We must look ahead to the future. We're in very real danger, and we need to _fight._ "

Teague nodded. "They know of Shipwreck Cove?"

"Aye."

"But how?"

Rose held back the truth. The last thing she needed was more judgement from this man. "It doesn't matter! With every second wasted, they grow ever nearer. I came to warn you, that is all. We must be on alert and build up our defenses."

Teague stood, and began to walk away from her towards the far rear wall. "I can't," he said simply.

Rose's stomach burned in rage. She leapt to her feet and quickly followed along behind her father. "You _can't_ or you won't?"

He walked up a small flight of haphazardly crooked steps, and pried open a door, disappearing into the darkness. Even though it meant Rose losing her sight, she was so angry that he was avoiding her requests for help that she marched in right after him. "TEAGUE!" she cried.

"I _can't,"_ his voice pierced through the dark. Rose jumped when she heard what sounded like a large book was tossed onto a wooden table. She then grew very confused as she heard a dog bark and what sounded like jingling keys. It then sounded like Teague unlocked the book and opened the cover. "I am bound by the Code," he said.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Aren't they more like 'guidelines?' What if I find a loophole?"

"If you _can,_ then I commend you. Be my guest."

Rose nodded, energized by the challenge. "Light enough candles in here and I shall."

* * *

"Ah!" Rose cried, now entering hour five of scouring over the Code in her father's study. "How about this: 'The convening of the Court must take place in the period of one day!' It has been far longer than that! This isn't a convening, then, this is something else entirely!"

Teague was pacing back and forth across the room. "Nope," he said, shooting her down for what must have been the thirtieth time. "That's the actual _meeting._ Convening can't begin unless all nine Lords are present. Not a loophole."

Rose groaned and persistently returned back to the book. "My vision's starting to fade," she reported. "I need more light."

Teague grunted in acknowledgement and fetched some more. As he lit them around her, he asked, "So after you revived Barbossa, how did you get to Singapore?"

As she had been working, Teague had been asking various questions about the past twenty-six years of her life; the life he had largely missed. She had answered his questions absentmindedly, as the majority of her attention was primarily on her work.

"The remaining _Pearl_ crew, Tia and Barbossa sailed under the flag of Captain Frees. We bargained with him to sack a Company ship that would take us around Cape Horn."

"And then at Singapore? For Sao Feng's charts, eh?"

"Aye, we planned it all out. The Company caught up with us, however. That's where I got separated. They made off with Sao Feng, and I was taken back to Port Royal."

"That's where you saw the executions?"

"Aye."

"And how did you make it out?"

Rose deflected from this topic again. "I managed to escape. That's all. I met up with Chevalle, and now I'm here." She turned a page and cried out in triumph. "Ah ha! Just as I thought! This Code says _nothing_ about what should happen if a Pirate Lord dies without passing on their piece of eight!"

Teague furrowed his brow. "And?"

" _And…_ What happens should a Pirate Lord die and no one knows of it? Then it comes time for the Brethren Court to meet and it's only _then_ that the others discover what has happened? Wouldn't that render that Pirate Lord and their domain obsolete?"

"Why are Sao Feng, Barbossa, and Jack not here in the first place?" Teague replied evenly. "That very reason—it's not a possibility. They must return at all costs, even from the dead."

"But what if Tia Dalma couldn't retrieve the body to revive it, like Barbossa? Or one couldn't travel to the Locker, like what the _Pearl_ is doing for Jack? What then? There _should_ be a loophole in that case! Can we _please_ write an amendment?"

Teague rolled his eyes, "For the thousandth time, no! This is the way the Code was written, and that's that!"

Rose sighed and slammed the back cover of the Code shut and sat back in her chair. She reached out and began to pet the unexplained gray dog Teague was keeping in his study, who kept the keys to the code in his mouth at all times. "Well, then I suppose we're doomed then. Without a loophole we have to, what, just wait for the enemy to come and haul us all away to be hanged?"

Teague too sat down in a chair nearby, and his silence wasn't helping Rose's nerves at all. After awhile, he finally asked, "And at what point in your story do you discover that the East India Trading Company has been informed of our location?"

"As far as I know," she replied, her jaw tight, "They _don't_ know our location. Only our name."

"That makes all the difference," he said gravely. "As soon as they know this place exists, it makes it all the easier to find us. Torture a few thousand convicted pirates until someone speaks, and there you have it." He leaned closer to her. "So I ask again because it _does_ matter, how were they informed of our location?"

She finally looked up at him, knowing her demure expression had already given her away. "Me," her voice squeaked.

To her surprise, Teague did not appear angry, but only asked frankly, "I thought as much from your blackened eye. They tortured it out of you."

"Aye," she murmured. "In a sense."

"In a sense?"

"Their Admiral. Norrington… I…" she felt tears rush to her eyes, and she looked upwards to keep them from spilling over. "I was a bloody fool."

"Norrington? Surely not Lawrence?"

She shook her head, jaw tight as she growled, "James."

Teague's face flushed in fury. "He hit you?"

"No!" she corrected. "He never hurt me…physically. He…"

"What?!"

"I fell for him like some lightheaded waif!" she shouted. "I let my guard down and he took advantage of that."

He sighed, saying nothing. After a moment, he stood and gazed out of his window overlooking the cove for a long time.

Rose was left to ruminate in her pain and fury. "'Just like her mother,' I'm sure you're thinking. We lose our heads when we lose our hearts."

"No," he briskly negated. "I wasn't thinking that at all." He looked over his shoulder at her. "Rather, I was thinking, 'Just like his _father.'"_

"You knew his father?"

He snorted, looking back out towards the ocean. "And the boy. I saved him from drowning." He then turned to her. "Wish I hadn't now."

Rose was shocked at the coincidence. "When was this?"

"Nearly…thirty years? Before Anna, I know. The boy couldn't have been more than six. Shame. Would have been a fine lad were that cruel bastard Lawrence not his father." He turned his gaze to his daughter's face, as he said with kindness, "Though he must have had some redeeming qualities if he caught your eye."

Though this was a rare moment of warmth from Teague, Rose recoiled in disgust. "It wasn't real, none of it. I was sick and lonesome. He knew how to…get inside my head. And he did, and now look where we are. He currently commands the _Flying Dutchman_ , they surely have figured out our location by now, we're three Pirate Lords short, and there's nothing to be done but wait for our demise."

"Do you know why the Brethren convenes?" Teague asked, suddenly changing the subject.

She stood to join him where she stood, arms crossed over her chest. "Aye, as far as I know," she replied. "Davy Jones did it to bind the sea goddess Calypso to human form so that the sea could belong to man. All because she charged him to ferry souls to the other side and she broke his heart."

Teague snorted. "Sure, that's what Calypso would have told you. And while it's largely true, it's become so much more than that." Rose blinked. _What Calypso would have told her?_ What did that mean? Teague continued his speech before she had a chance to question it, however. "It's about camaraderie. It's a unification of the _world._ No one else on this planet, not even the stronghold of the Trading Company in all it's fearsome glory, has this sort of unity. And it lasts only a short time, then we return to swindling and killing one another again. But sing that song and we know _exactly_ who we are. Sing that song and we come together as one.

"That's why it's a pirate's life for me; We are without a country. That's the life we've chosen. We are beholden to no one but the seas we sail. We hold no allegiances but to her, our captains, our vessels, and ourselves. If not piracy, then what? Working under unfathomably horrible conditions for little payoff all in the name of 'king and country?' No. Not me. Not anyone here.

"That's why we have chosen the lives we live, Rosie. It's freedom. It's lawlessness. And certainly, it's dangerous and at times…violent. So violent. But I'd take that any day before I work for those who invade a land and take their people as slaves. I'd take that before I'd take… _anything._ " He turned and looked back at his daughter. "The Brethren Court is freedom."

Though she was moved by his words, Rose asked, "But that freedom was gained only by imprisoning another being, was it not? And…what did you mean 'Calypso told you?' Calypso hasn't told me anything! I only know her servant, Tia Dalma!"

Teague blinked. "Is that what she told you? That she was her servant?"

Rose ran her hands through her hair. "She lied to me," she whispered. "I _knew_ it was her. I asked her and she denied it."

Her father sighed. "Makes sense that she would. The more people that know, the more danger she's in."

"I was her student," she protested. "I wasn't just 'anyone.'"

"Would it have changed your opinion of her?"

"Well it certainly has now!" Rose took a sharp inhale. "How long has she been here?"

"Centuries."

"And Jack knew?"

"Always. How else did you think he learned of the _Black Pearl_? It was Jones who raised her from the depths for him. It was Calypso who told him of Jones in the first place."

Rose was incredulous. "Any more revelations you'd care to get out of the way, _Father_? 'Rose, Norrington and I are old friends.' "Rose, your bloody mentor is a BLOODY GODDESS!'" She pursed her lips, pulse racing. "How many other siblings do I have, Teague? Go ahead!"

Teague rolled his eyes. "Just Jack, as far as I know. But I wouldn't be in shock if more of you turn up to accuse me of negligence."

"You're incorrigible," Rose scoffed in disgust as she turned to leave the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" he called after her.

"First to that wretched tavern in town. If you're not going to tell those pirates out there that they are merely waiting for their untimely deaths, then I shall!"

Teague raced to block her path. "Absolutely not!"

Rose sneered, "Look, while I would love to believe that Jack will be alive and well and in this very room tomorrow, we cannot wait on those chances alone. And you honestly intend to honor the Code above the lives of thousands of men and women?"

"And, what?" he retorted, "You think they'll listen to _you_? What authority over them do you have?"

"If _you_ say—"

"I won't say a thing!" he retorted. "I won't cause widespread panic. We wait for Jack."

Rose almost didn't dare to speak the words for fear that they would come true, but she finally uttered, "And if Jack never comes?"

Teague took a forlorn moment to consider this, then settled on, "Improvisation."

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief of how similar he and Jack were. Grumbling in frustration, she retired back to her chair where the dog laid now, slumbering at its legs.

"What, is that all?" Teague asked.

"Until you come to your senses, yes," she replied. "Which certainly won't be happening tonight!"

Teague sighed, "Until morning, then."

"I suppose," she grumbled.

She listened as he settled himself in his armchair and let her blindness surround her as he extinguished the candles on his desk. Now settled into the darkness, she waited with her eyes shut for sleep to overtake her, but minutes passed all while she was still wide awake. Her stomach was churning with anxiety.

"I'm sorry, by the way," Teague suddenly said in the darkness.

Rose furrowed her brow, uncertain what to make of this bizarre change of heart. It was unclear what he was sorry for, for he was in the wrong on so many fronts. Finally, she replied, "I don't need the apology. Jack's mother needs your apology for being unfaithful, yet she's gone. My mother needs your apology for abandoning her, yet she's gone. It's too late for that."

"No, not for me. I meant that I'm sorry about Norrington."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Why would you be sorry for that? You weren't the one to hurt me."

"I have before," he said. "And as I said, I met the lad when he was but a boy, but it was clear then that his nature is rather sensitive. Whoever you saw was whatever his father made him into, but he certainly isn't heartless. Take it from someone who knows, Rosie," he said in final thought. "He's going to regret hurting you for the rest of his days."


	62. Chapter 29 - Restoration

Nine long, fruitless days passed. During this time, Teague and Rose had gotten to know each other better, although their relationship was still strained. Rose wasn't certain if she was ever going to have the sort of relationship she _wanted_ with her father, so she kept her expectations low. She treated him as nothing but an ally, and most of their conversations revolved around histories of the various Pirate Lords, naval politics, and showing her around both Shipwreck and the crooked, twisted architecture of the fortress. They only visited the town together once, then promptly turned back upon seeing that it had devolved into a cesspool of violence, drinking, and chaos. Resources were almost nonexistent by now, and so overpopulated was the island, that the six Pirate Lords in attendance and the most trusted members of their crew moved into the fortress, which made for very tight quarters below the Brethren's main meeting place.

Rose continued her futile attempts at building a strategy to ward off the Company. But there was truly nothing to be done without Jack, Barbossa and Sao Feng. She wasn't going to stop trying however, and every morning and night at sunrise and sundown, she would climb to the top of the highest peak on Shipwreck Island with Teague's telescope. The action oddly reminded her of when she would seek out the _Pearl_ 's black sails every morning and evening on Tortuga when she was but a girl. This time, however, her search was less about finding her future than it was preventing a terrible one from unfolding. She was terrified that she would find either the slimy, green, tattered sails of the _Dutchman_ or the pristine white sails of Company vessels encroaching upon them. Every time, thankfully, there was nothing at all remarkable, with the exception of the first morning, when Rose thought she saw the green flash of the sun on the horizon that her mother used to speak of. She figured that that one instance had been her mind playing tricks on her, however, and she breathed a sigh of relief each time she wouldn't find an enemy sail on the horizon. On the tenth evening, Rose was about to set out to check the horizon with at sundown when she found her father standing at an opening in the wall overlooking the harbor below. She joined him at the crevasse, and followed his gaze. Her expression changed to horror at the sight of ships exiting the harbor.

"Oh no!" she cried. "They can't leave!"

"Oh but they can," he said in monotone. "It is entirely within their power."

"But the Brethren Court—"

"The Pirate Lords are still here. Those are some of the rogue ships who sought refuge here. No, the Pirate Lords are still down below. However resentfully and impatiently, but—"

He was cut off by the sound of gunshots. He rushed to the stairs and descended, and Rose was right on his heels.

They entered into a brawl unlike any Rose had ever seen, and she had seen _plenty_ of tavern brawls in her time. It appeared as though Mistress Ching's men were quarreling with Armand's, and somewhere, Jocard's men joined in the fight.

Rose plugged her ears as she watched her father pull out his flintlock and fire straight into the air. They all froze, staring at the two of them.

"Enough of that," her father said politely. His voice was not raised, nor carried any tone of upset or aggression.

Jocard himself bravely stepped forward. "Captain Teague! We demand to know at once the cause for the delay! We cannot wait much longer!"

A few noises in agreement spread throughout the crowd.

Teague was unwavering, and immediately answered, "Do you see this woman at my side?" Rose felt her stomach drop. _Don't put this on me, please._ "She is an affiliate of Captain Sparrow's and Barbossa's. She has reported to me that the final three pirate lords will arrive within the day."

 _What? No I didn't!_

A French voice from somewhere in the mob called in response, "They have been away this long, how do we know that they are not leading the enemy to our gates?"

Teague answered immediately. Now Rose saw where Jack got his improvisational skills from. "Are you accusing Captain Sparrow of treachery? Gentlemen, you all are familiar with Jack. Is he really one to get into a bind such as that?"

More murmurs of agreement rang throughout the crowd.

"In the meantime," Mistress Ching's voice rang out, distinct and clear, "We are weary of this place. What if they do not arrive within the day?"

Teague replied firmly, "I assure you they will." _How could he assure that? It was impossible!_ "In the meantime, I welcome you to take your places at the grand table and prepare for the fourth Brethren Court."

Several "hoorah's" erupted through the crowd. Rose hadn't noticed that her father had turned to lead them upstairs. She quickly raced to catch up with him. He turned sharply back to her, saying, "We best go into the cabin." She looked over her shoulder. Wise choice, as the room was quickly filling with angry, hungry pirates who were just shooting at each other not minutes earlier.

Once she closed the door behind her, she cried, "What was that?"

"What?" he asked nonchalantly, and seating himself at his chair, he began to strum a nearby guitar.

"You know damn well what!" she said. "Telling them that Jack will be here within the day!" He just kept playing his guitar. Rose walked closer and raised her voice. "You don't know that they will be here! You don't even know if they are ALIVE!"

"I know one thing," he muttered. "If we didn't give them some form of hope, there would have been chaos."

"And chaos still persists! This buys us, what, mere _hours?_ Then what?"

He stopped strumming and looked up at her. "I don't know. We take life as it comes."

 _Just like Jack! Infuriating!_ She threw her hands up in exasperation and left the room, dodging the hundreds of waiting pirates at the grand table and descending the fortress she had now come to know so well. She made a beeline straight to the peak, as was her plan before this diversion.

Once there, she extended the telescope. She drew her gaze over the rapidly fleeing dozen or so ships, and sighed in disapproval. She then moved the scope down and took another glance around without use of a visual aid.

Something curious caught her eye this time. A dark speck was heading straight for them. She narrowed her eyes and raised the glass once again. When she saw it magnified through the scope, at first she didn't react, though her heart felt like it had fallen straight into her stomach. She just stayed there, frozen in place until she was absolutely certain that her eyes weren't deceiving her.

Then, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her back to the fortress. She pushed past wanderers in the narrow hallways, climbed winding stairs and ladders until she reached the meeting place. She then pushed through the Pirate Lords and their men and darted into Teague's room.

"Convene the Court!" Rose she said breathlessly.

Teague looked alarmed. "What is it? What's out there?"

"Convene the Court now!" she repeated.

"For the last time, you know I can't do that, Rose!" he protested.

"You _can!_ " she said, a wide smile growing across her face. "The _Black Pearl_ has returned!"

* * *

Rose shifted her weight uncomfortably between her feet. "What's taking them so long?" she fretted.

"Calm yourself," Teague gruffly said, his hat tipped down over his eyes as he leaned casually against the doorframe to his quarters. "It takes awhile to maneuver the Cove."

She gave a sharp, frustrated exhale through her nose. "It takes annoyingly long, that's what." Of course she was impatient—it had been months without her brother, and Rose was bursting at the seams to reunite with him. She knew he was back; There was no _Pearl_ without Jack. However, she also knew that this was to be a rigid reunion. She couldn't race to embrace her brother—there were Pirate Lords present. So for right now, she had to struggle to keep her composure.

She knew he had arrived when the room went deathly silent. Her eyes lit up when she saw the men she thought she'd never see again come into the space. Barbossa entered first, inserting his cutlass into the globe, then tipping his hat to the Pirate Lords as he took his place at the head of the table. Surrounding him were Pintel, Ragetti, Gibbs, Cotton, and Marty. Barbossa appeared to have something…or _someone_ hovering behind him. Rose craned her neck to catch a better glimpse. Sure enough, it was Jack, appearing to be hiding from everyone and everything else in the room. Barbossa grew irritated and quickly spun around, revealing her half-brother to the room. With nowhere to hide now, Jack stood upright and gave a sheepish grin at his fellow Pirate Lords. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and Rose watched as many of the Pirate Lords motioned to several of their crew members, all of which were very tall, domineering men. As if rehearsed, they all immediately made a beeline towards Jack and formed a very threatening-looking line to speak with him.

Rose was alarmed at this. "What's happening?"

Teague gave a slight laugh. "What else? Debts. Jack's famous for them."

She rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I know. What does Jack owe the other Pirate Lords?"

"Well, let's see…" Teague said, eyes wandering from around the table. "A share of Spanish treasure off of Hispaniola, three dozen barrels of rum, an entire fleet of galleons, and…a wife." He gave a sidelong glance at Rose. "And that's just what _I_ know about."

She snorted. "Typical. Jack's free from one debt and immediately wanders into several others." She pushed up her sleeves and took a deep breath. "Well, I am owed a debt as well. I suppose I should get in line and wait my turn, shouldn't I?"

Teague smiled. "Send your brother my regards," he said.

Rose furrowed her brow. "Won't you come as well?"

He shook his head. "Not unless I come up. You know as well as anyone how Jackie feels about me."

"But that was then," she protested. "It's been years. _We've_ reconnected. What of you?"

Teague only motioned towards Jack with a slight nod of his head. "Go to him," he insisted. "I'll be here."

Reluctantly, she left him, but as soon as she was off, it took every bit of her will to wait for the many debt collectors representing the Pirate Lords to finish their business with Jack. Finally, the last huge, terrifying brute of a man was appeased by some vague promises from Jack of "unending riches" for the man's captain, and he stomped away, revealing Rose standing there, the last in line. Jack gave a large, toothy grin when he saw her, and Rose couldn't believe her eyes at seeing her brother in the flesh once more, something she never believed was possible.

"I believe I am owed passage aboard your ship, Captain Sparrow," she said with a smile.

Just as she expected, there was to be no embrace or overt expression of familial relation with Jack at that moment. He only walked closer to her and said with faux sternness, "Your absence aboard my vessel has been noted, Hexfury. I will _consider_ taking you back, given that it doesn't happen again."

"Aye aye, Cap'n," she replied, laughing.

Barbossa peered around Jack's shoulder at her. He looked rather impressed to see that she had made it to Shipwreck Cove in one piece. "So ya made it out of Singapore," he growled.

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, so she 'stayed behind in the bayou,' did she?"

Barbossa must have lied, telling Jack that Rose had elected to stay behind in the bayou. If Jack knew that Rose had been left behind in Singapore, he would have insisted on going back, and Barbossa knew that there was no time for that.

"I did make it out, thank you," she said to him. "And you all made it out of the Locker, I see."

"Barely," Barbossa huffed.

Despite his sass, Rose looked sincerely at him. "Thank you," she said, knowing full well that Jack would have never returned were it not for him. Barbossa gave a small smile back to her in response.

Jack looked between them. "What's this? Do I see old foes getting along?"

"Ask me again once the war is won," Rose replied. She then opened her mouth to remark that the Court could now be convened, as all nine Pirate Lords were present, but suddenly something occurred to her. "Where's Sao Feng?" she asked in alarm.

"We were separated," Barbossa sneered.

Rose's eyes flared in anger. "You were supposed to be together!" she yelled.

"Well, _that_ friendly moment's over, I s'pose," Jack remarked under his breath.

"Things…went awry," explained Barbossa.

"And Will?" Rose asked. "Where's he?"

"I state again: Things went awry."

She sidestepped around Jack and spoke directly to Barbossa as she said sternly, "We don't have the _time_ for things to go awry. I don't think you understand just how dire our situation is!"

Barbossa glared at her. "Oh, I rather be thinkin' I do."

"Aye," Jack interjected, poking Rose on the shoulder. "Nasty run in with the Company, love. Bloke by the name of Beckett. Horrible character who's not fond of me."

"Oh don't I know it. Believe me, in our time apart, I encountered him too," replied Rose.

Jack cocked his head to the side in confusion, though he looked thoroughly impressed with her. From her short hair to her confident, authoritative air, Rose had changed significantly since they had last seen each other. "We've got much catching up to do, sister."

She grinned. "Aye… but once we've won this." She looked back at Barbossa, stating firmly, "You must convene the Court, Sao Feng or no. I care not about whatever the Code says, this happens _now_."

"Finally, yer speaking sense, girl!" Barbossa said with a yellow grin. "Worry not, that's me plan."

"Rose," Jack said, motioning her to stand with him a bit further off. She walked with him a few paces off towards the globe with the swords. He lowered his voice so that their conversation would be inaudible over the chatter of the other pirates in the room. "It's a bit sudden," he said, "But I think you should head off towards the _Pearl_ right about now _."_

Rose shook her head instantly. "Absolutely not, Jack. I have waited for this bloody meeting for too long—I'm going to be there when it happens."

He held up a finger to pause her. "I understand that. But there's a more pressing matter at hand. There's prisoner in the brig you might want to speak with."

Rose raised her eyebrows in interest, wondering who it could possibly be. Then it hit her—who wasn't among them? Who was the reason why the Brethren Court existed in the first place? "Calypso," she whispered.

Jack grimaced. "So you know about her, then."

She pursed her lips. "Aye, and we'll discuss you keeping _that_ gem of a secret from me at a later time. For now, why on Earth is she being kept in the brig?"

Jack motioned with his head towards where Barbossa stood.

"Why?" Rose asked again.

"Why else? His plan is to free her in the hopes that she takes down the Company on her own, saving us the trouble of the fight. Plus, he owes her for bringin' him back."

"So it'll happen, then," Rose reasoned.

"Not necessarily," Jack said. "It'll take the consent of the Pirate Lords, and I'll be fightin' tooth and nail against it."

Rose was surprised at this. "But Jack, she's been bound here against her will for centuries! She deserves her freedom! You of all people should empathize."

"Oi, don't jump all over me!" he said, hands raised in surrender. "I want 'er free just as much as the next bloke…that isn't Barbossa, that is. But who's the _one_ person…" His voice trailed off on that thought, then he began it again. "Who's the one _fish_ that she could side with against us?"

 _Davy Jones._ Rose needn't speak it aloud; She knew Jack spoke true. While she had never spoken to Tia about Jones, she knew how changeable and volatile her personality was. She could easily turn the tides against them. "Fine," she conceded. "But immediately _after_ we best the Company, we're setting her free, deal?"

"Cross my heart, love," Jack swore.

She nodded, then began to walk backwards. "Good luck convincing that lot. They seem none too fond of you, brother!"

He grimaced again and nodded. "I'll figure _something_ out. I always do!"

"I'll be back!" she called over her shoulder, racing through the corridors downwards towards the sea. Funny, Jack had been back in her life for only a few minutes, yet necessity made it so that they had to leap right back into defending themselves from nefarious sources. It was like nothing at all had changed, even though Rose was _so_ glad that it had!

She crossed the last hallway down and out on the ground level of the Cove, then came face to face with a group of newcomers. "Oof" exclaimed Rose as she nearly collided with their leader. Then her jaw dropped. There, in full Singaporean dress, was Elizabeth Swann, leading a group of Singaporean pirates.

"Rose?" she asked, just as alarmed. "Is that really you?" She moved forward as if to embrace her, but stopped upon remembering their strained relationship. Rose was so shocked that she couldn't find the right words to reply with, so they just stood for a moment in awkward silence. Elizabeth continued, "I saw the _Pearl_ in the harbor. Surely you've seen Jack…?"

"I have," Rose said kindly. "Thank you for retrieving him."

"Of course," she said quietly.

Rose regarded her once more. "Are…are you with Sao Feng?"

"He's dead," Elizabeth reported. "He made me the Captain of the _Empress_ in his stead." She looked behind her and motioned to her crew. "These are my men," she said. "But I come bearing news that the East India Trading Company grows ever nearer. We just escaped them."

Rose was floored by the information that Elizabeth was now the Pirate Lord of Singapore, but she remained level-headed regarding talk of the Company's approach. "Aye, I have been reporting the same, but the Lords seem unfazed. Maybe they'll listen to a Pirate Lord. Go, the Court is convening shortly."

"Aye. Come on, men!" she cried, motioning them in and up the fortress.

Rose moved to continue out into the darkness, unsure of how she was going to find her way to the _Pearl,_ when Elizabeth called back to her. "Rose!" When she turned back to her, she continued, "I'm sorry. Once again, for…everything."

Rose smiled. "You're all back now, that's all that matters." Then, a thought occurred to her. "Actually, there's one last thing you can do to make it up to me."

"Name it."

"Can you spare a man to row me to the _Black Pearl?"_


	63. Chapter 30 - The Heir

Once aboard the _Black Pearl,_ Rose ran her hand along its familiar railing. She would never understand what drew Jack so much to this particular ship, but its mythology during her whole life made it synonymous with hope, and it was therefore home. So strange it was to have both it and Jack back when they should have been to the depths forever. But Rose wasn't here to reminisce. She had to speak with Calypso.

She rushed beneath the deck and down into the brig. There were several lanterns below, but Rose carried another at eye level so that she could at least make out faint shapes. Upon fully entering into the brig, she saw her mentor, grasping the bars of her prison, talking to herself inaudibly.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but no sound emerged. Finally, she squeaked out a timid, "Tia Dalma?"

"Rose!" she called in reply. Rose extended her arms and felt her way along the wall towards Tia's voice. When she finally made it close enough that she could see Tia's face, she hooked the lantern above them on the bars so that she could see her.

Rose grasped Tia's hands through the bars. "I thought I would never see you again!" she exclaimed.

"Nor I! Id be a long journey, but witty Jack return to ya."

"Aye," Rose said, though a bittersweet tone was laced in her voice. She couldn't pretend any longer—she had to confront Tia with the truth. She had to confront _Calypso_ with the truth. "I…I know about you. Calypso."

She just raised her eyebrows and smiled, giving rose a challenging look. "And?" she asked.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Would id 'ave made a difference? You be taught by a goddess of da tides. Id matters not."

"I could have helped you," Rose exclaimed. "I want you free as well!"

Calypso shook her head, repeating, "Id matters not. At dawn, I will be free."

Rose felt an immense amount of apprehension at this. How could she reveal to this powerful being that in fact, the plan was to _not_ free her immediately? "Yes, you will be freed soon, I will make sure of it," she finally decided upon.

"Ahh…" Calypso cooed. "Jack Sparrow, him already come to ya. Sayin' id unwise ta free me, mm?"

"No," Rose lied. "We've just…we've got so much to worry about, and I—"

"Worry aboud dis, then!" she shouted, causing Rose to start. "Jack send you here to turn my favor to da Court? Ya too late—Davy Jones be just he-ere moments ago."

Rose looked around the brig in alarm. "Jones? Here?"

"Aye. N' what did da Court do me? Bound me to dis?" she cried, motioning to her body. "Forever? Whad mercy have dey shown me?"

Rose was torn; Yes, the Court had been unbelievably cruel to Calypso, but it was _Jones_ who led that Court! These were an entirely new generation of unaffiliated pirates who were going extinct beneath the East India Trading Company. "Jack is among them, Calypso," Rose tried to reason. "And me. Think of _me!_ We'll be sailing the seas you turn against us if that is your ultimate decision! We're at _your_ mercy."

Calypso's eyes flared in fury, though she grinned at the power she now realized that she had. "And whad do I owe you?"

That sentence chilled Rose to her core. _What do I owe you?_ Nothing. Calypso had taken care of Rose entirely on her own as she grew up. Calypso had been prisoner to Jack and Barbossa's whims. Calypso had had no say over her own life. Calypso had been rebuffed by Rose once she decided to blame her for Jack's death. Calypso owed neither Rose nor the pirates a single thing. She could do whatever she pleased.

All that Rose could do now was try one last time to right her wrongs of the past. "You're wrong," she finally said, voice trembling. "Jack didn't send me to try to sway your favor. He sent me to say goodbye. If you and Barbossa have your way and you _are_ freed…we'll never see each other again. You go back to the Locker, don't you?"

Calypso nodded. "I do."

"So… _whatever_ be our futures, I wanted to bid you farewell." Once this realization hit Rose, it hit her incredibly hard; Tia Dalma was already gone in her mind. But now every bit of her _was_ going to go away forever.

"Dis not be de end," Calypso said, reaching through the bars to touch Rose's shoulder. "We be meetin' again someday soon, I promise."

Rose said quietly, "I never thanked you for everything you've done for me. I cannot thank you enough."

Calypso gave a sad smile and sighed, searching Rose's eyes. Then, earnestly, she said, "Tomorrow be a dark, dark day. Many lives lost, many hearts be broken. Two paths I can take—one for de Brethren Court, one for Davy Jones. I know nod which be da path I take yet, maybe neither. But you _must not_ be on dis ship. Ya hear?"

"On the _Pearl?"_ Rose asked.

"Aye, ya must be far away, mmm?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm not leaving Jack again, Tia. I'm sorry."

"Don'd obey for Tia Dalma, ya listen to Calypso now!" she corrected. "Ya stay away, yes?"

Rose sighed in exasperation, but she knew that she wouldn't let this go unless she agreed. "Alright," Rose lied.

Breathily, Calypso then weaved her arm back through the bar and unhooked her silver crab locket from her neck. "N' dis be for you," she said, extending it out to her. "My love have de udder, but it not matter after tomorrow."

Rose protested, "But I can't accept that, Tia."

"Ya must! Ya be a part of my plan! Please, Rose!" she pleaded.

Rose furrowed her brow. "Your 'plan?' What…what do you-"

"Please! Will ya accept?" Calypso's eyes were desperate, and Rose finally agreed, taking the locket. It was a beautiful object that Rose was always fascinated by, but it felt odd taking it from her mentor. And so final…Rose disliked the feeling. Still, she hooked it around her neck.

"Calypso, I—" Suddenly, creaks in the floorboards interrupted her. The Court must have already completed their meeting. She looked to Calypso in alarm.

"Go," she said. "Ya know da wrath if Barbossa discovers you he-ere."

"Thank you," Rose said again sincerely.

Calypso smiled. "Dere be a touch of destiny about you, Rose Hexfury," she cooed. "Dere always has been."

Rose dared not stay a moment longer, lest she burst into tears at this last farewell. She grabbed her lantern and rushed upstairs, opening out into the darkness of the night.

"Rose!" she heard Gibbs exclaim as he passed by her. "Saw ya made it back! Glad to have ya aboard once more, lass!"

She held up her lantern close by her eyes to see the shapes of the crew members passing by her. "Glad to _be_ aboard, Gibbs!" she said with a grin. "Tell me, what became of the Brethren Court? What was decided?"

"Ya missed quite a spectacle, lass!" he said excitedly. "Elizabeth Swann arrived, having taken Sao Feng's place as Pirate Lord. Then, with Jack's help, she was voted the Pirate King!"

Rose was taken aback. "Elizabeth?" Rose had scoured for _hours_ over the Pirate Code, so she knew that a King could only be declared by a vote of the Pirate Lords, which was redundant, as each Lord only ever voted for themselves. Strange that Jack would give up a vote for himself in support of Elizabeth… Unless they both supported the same outcome; Fighting Jones and the Company, and keeping Calypso contained until at least after the war had subsided.

"What's the decision, then?" Rose asked.

"We set out at dawn! The Company is expected to be here by then!" Gibbs exclaimed. "So, we rest and gear up until then!"

"And where's Jack now?"

Gibbs then grew rather close to Rose, voice low, "Actually, he's er…with yer father."

 _So Jack had found Teague after all…_ Rose nodded, then moved towards the starboard side of the ship. "I need to go ashore, then," she said, right before running straight into Jack.

"Why would _that_ be?" he asked.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "What happened? I thought you were with Teague!"

"And I thought you were with Tia Dalma," Jack countered.

"I was," she said, holding up the locket. "I've got a new trinket."

"Me too!" Jack exclaimed, lifting up a shrunken head and holding it mere inches from her nose so that she could clearly make it out by the light of her lantern. "Meet me mum!"

"Oh god, Jack!" Rose recoiled. "Do I even want to know?"

His eyes were peering in concern over her head by this point however, and he distantly said, "Probably not. Hold that thought and come with me." He then swept around her and quickly pushed his way past Barbossa, ducking inside the Captain's quarters before Barbossa could do so.

"Sorry mate, my cabin! Called it!" Jack cried triumphantly before slamming the door once Rose scurried inside behind him. Together, they laughed until their sides were sore. Jack found a secret stash of rum he had hidden away in a trunk and they treated themselves to several bottles as they caught up on the past six months of their lives…and deaths. It was on her third bottle that Rose began to feel pretty woozy, and was impressed with herself that she had been able to carefully sidestep the mentioning of the Norrington debacle altogether, and Jack thought nothing of her vague brushing over of details regarding how she escaped Port Royal. He instead was far more interested in her new relationship with their father.

"So, Teague, then, eh? You two are thick as thieves, it would seem."

"I wouldn't say _that,"_ she protested. "We've come back into contact, that's all. And he seems…apologetic for the past. That's all I can really ask for."

Jack nodded. "I'll admit, things do seem different with him. We had a good long chat after the Court adjourned. Saw right through me, of course. Knew all about my plans."

Rose leaned forward in interest. "And what plans are those?"

Jack's eyes glinted in excitement. "Eternity," he said with a grin. "Didn't much care for death. Don't really want to go through that nasty business again, really. So, methinks I'll—"

"Stab the heart," Rose finished, putting it all together.

"Bad decision?" Jack asked.

"Surprisingly? I agree with you."

Jack looked shocked. "Is that so?"

"Aye," Rose said. "I overheard Calypso telling Barbossa before you died that she had seen the successor to Davy Jones. It very well could be you."

"And, _you'd_ be alright with that?" Jack asked.

"If it's what you want, then yes!" Rose agreed. "Plus, I wouldn't have to worry if you were alive or not. It's a win for both sides, really." She took a large sip of her rum, then interrogated him for further details. "So how will you do it?" she asked.

"Still working that one out," Jack replied.

Rose rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair in exasperation. "Bloody improvisation again, why did I expect any less?"

"Never failed me once!" Rose raised a skeptical eyebrow at this, to which Jack corrected, "Well…maybe it's failed me once or twice. But still—the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor on this one!"

"Well," Rose said through a yawn. "No matter what happens, I'll be fighting alongside you lot. Know that."

The last thing Rose remembers from that night was Jack replying, "I'm sure you will, love." She then fell into a deep, rum-induced sleep that was deep and dreamless. So deep was her slumber that she never felt herself being carried out hours later, hoisted over the _Pearl_ 's railing, then set down in a strange bed. It was in this strange bed that Rose awoke in the morning. Her head was pounding from the drink the night before, so it took her awhile to adjust, but when she did, she saw that she was in a Captain's quarters that was smaller but more finely decorated than Jack's. Something about this place seemed vaguely familiar, though Rose didn't quite know why at first.

It wasn't until she appeared on deck in the white light of that overcast morning that Rose realized that she had been moved aboard the _Misty Lady_ in the middle of the night in a secret transference between Teague and Jack. Furious, she pushed her way past the strange men of her father's crew and marched right up to where Teague stood on the _Misty Lady_ 's forecastle deck. His gaze remained fixated out to sea, and it was only then that it even occurred to Rose to look around her and notice the sheer silence of the ocean; everything and everyone was still in quiet anticipation. There were hundreds of pirate ships lined up alongside the _Misty Lady,_ and the _Pearl_ floated only a few leagues away. Northward, Rose's face fell when she saw the _Flying Dutchman,_ poised in all of its green, grim glory, facing off directly towards the line of pirates. Behind it was even more of a ghastly sight; Rose saw the pristine appearance of the _Endeavour,_ and even further off were waiting what appeared to be nearly a thousand Company vessels. The pirates were severely outnumbered.

"What's going on?" Rose said quietly to her father.

Teague's eyes didn't leave the _Pearl,_ however. "Jack called a parlay," he explained. They met on a spit of land a ways off, that's all I know. When they came back, Jack had been exchanged with that bloke over there," he said, pointing towards a man in a red shirt that was standing aboard the _Pearl_ next to Elizabeth.

Rose instantly recognized him. _Will!_ While this meant that Jack was now in the extremely dangerous hands of Jones and Beckett, Rose actually found herself grateful that this had happened—it put Jack in a much better position to dispatch Jones quickly and effectively.

"So what happens now?" Rose asked.

"We don't know," he replied. "If I had to guess, I would presume that Barbossa reached an agreement that might have saved us for the moment. As you can see, we're severely outnumbered. It would appear as though the _Pearl_ is singlehandedly preparing to launch into battle."

Rose began to piece it together. "The _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman_ will be facing off against other. Each side's champion vessel. To the victor go the spoils."

"Aye," agreed Teague, though his eyes were now narrowed. "Although, it would appear that something's just come up." Immediately, he handed over his telescope to Rose. She quickly extended it, and gasped in horror when she saw Calypso tied up, with Barbossa standing near her with a bowl and a fuse as though about to start a ritual. He was attempting to free her.

Rose looked at her father in shock. "But it was Elizabeth's orders to fight first, free her later! Calypso could turn the tides against us!"

Teague shook his head. "From what you say, I'm not sure that Barbossa has much of a choice. He has to free her, or he's damned."

It was true. Elizabeth looked livid at having had her orders be directly defied, and Barbossa was waving his arms about in an exaggerated fashion, attempting desperately to keep his promise to free the goddess. Calypso just stood there. Nothing happened. Rose's heart beat in her chest as confusion erupted on deck.

"It's not working" Rose whispered. "Why isn't it working?" Just then, through the telescope, she watched as Ragetti of all people whispered something into Calypso's ear, which caused her to convulse and set the bowl on fire with her mind.

At that moment, Rose started to feel odd. She lowered the telescope from her eye, and placed a hand on her neck. She had developed an instant fever.

"Everything alright?" Teague asked in concern. When she didn't reply, he asked, "Rose?"

That's when she collapsed.

* * *

Rose came to only a few minutes later, and when she did, she was helped to her feet once more by Teague and a few of his men. They had fetched her a barrel to sit upon and a canteen of water.

"Are you alright?" Teague asked her, eyes wrought with worry.

"I…I'm not sure," Rose said. Her head was throbbing, and not in a way that felt like a result of the previous night's alcohol. Every nerve in her body felt like it was dancing independent from herself. "What happened?"

"So much," he reported. "You began to violently convulse. Then as soon as you went down, Calypso grew to massive proportions. She then disintegrated into over a thousand crabs."

"What?" Rose exclaimed, leaping to her feet. She rushed back to the railing, and felt a pang of horror when she realized that Tia Dalma, _Calypso,_ was fully gone. The only remnants of her presence where a few last remaining crabs the _Pearl_ 's crew were presently throwing overboard.

Teague was at her side once more, and Rose asked him, "So, she's just…gone then? Returned to the Locker?"

"Well, she's certainly not _helping_ us," he grumbled.

Rose looked at him, "So what happens now?"

Their attentions at that moment, however, were drawn back to the _Black Pearl,_ as they heard a triumphant voice ring out over the vast silence of the surrounding vessels. Rose's eyes were drawn to Elizabeth, who clung to the rigging, positioning herself above the men as she cried out, "They will see free men and freedom! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons. They will hear the ring of our swords, and they will know what we can do. By the sweat of our brows and the strength of our backs, and the courage of our hearts. Gentlemen. Hoist the colors!"

This sparked a chain reaction of "Hoist the colors!" throughout the _Pearl_ 's crew, then Teague's crew, then the immediate surrounding ships, then their entire fleet. Soon, everyone was hollering and cheering, screaming out fearsome battle cries. Rose had never seen anything like it, but was still extremely disoriented from her seizure only a few minutes prior. The commotion caused her to have to sit once more, though she watched as the clouds billowed above them, the _Pearl_ surged forward towards the enemy vessels, and the _Dutchman_ followed suit. Before anyone quite knew what was happening, the area ocean where the two ships were about to meet began to churn violently, leading to a prolific maelstrom.

"There it is," Rose said with a grin.

"What?" Teague asked her.

"Calypso chose the third path…she's picked neither side."


	64. Chapter 31 - The Final Battle

Rose's eye might as well have been fused to that telescope throughout the battle. Teague stood by her side, waiting for word from her, but there was little to report. The maelstrom caused by Calypso grew ever stronger and the fighting went on for an exorbitant amount of time. The ships in Shipwreck's harbor were filled with thousands of spectators, all of whom were so silent, one could hear a pin drop.

For what seemed like hours it was like this. The ships turned and turned in the maelstrom, blasting away at one another with no clear victor in sight. Finally, Rose noticed something that finally shifted all activity.

"Good lord," she exclaimed.

"What is it?" asked Teague.

"The storm. It's clearing. And the _Pearl_ is starting to leave her."

The fight hadn't been won, the _Pearl_ was merely escaping the increasingly unstable maelstrom. The _Dutchman_ was going down with the tide, presumably back to the Locker. All gunfire had ceased, and the the _Pearl_ soon crested the top of these spinning waves and sailed back into stable waters. As soon as she cleared, Rose drew the telescope across the faces of the crewman.

 _Marty, Ragetti, Cotton, Gibbs and Barbossa at the wheel…there's Pintel… Oh no._

Jack, Will and Elizabeth were missing.

Just then, some commotion from nearby ships broke Rose's fixated gaze upon what was left of the _Black Pearl._ She followed the eyes and pointing hands of the pirates who looked up in the sky until she found what they had noticed. She raised the glass once again to her eye and breathed a massive sigh of relief when she saw that Jack had parachuted off the _Dutchman_ and was about to land in the now calm seas. Jack the monkey clung for dear life to the lowest hanging ropes of the parachute, while someone else held on to Jack… _Elizabeth!_ She had her face buried in Jack's chest as they soared through the sky, which made Rose feel unsettled.

 _That means…_ Rose meticulously counted the crewmen aboard the _Pearl_ once again as they sailed past to retrieve Jack and Elizabeth from the water.

Will was gone.

"Oh god…" Rose whispered.

"What?"

She focused the glass upon a now soaking wet Elizabeth looking despondent. "Will Turner. My friend. He didn't make it."

Teague laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured. She lowered the glass and stared at the _Black Pearl._ In just a day, she had gained back her brother, but lost two people who were very important to her. She knew it could have been so much worse, but still, what was lost hurt her deeply.

The war was nowhere _near_ over, however. True, the _Flying Dutchman_ was gone, but no one truly knew why. With its descent into the Locker, that must have meant that all Company officers aboard were dead, for they never would have survived that trip to the other world. Rose also wondered about Norrington's fate— Was _he_ one of those unlucky souls? Had he made it off the ship before the maelstrom, or had he met his demise long before that time? Rose would have to suffer through the unknown, but whatever fate Norrington received, she sincerely hoped it accommodated her justice.

That's when the next stage in the war began. With the _Dutchman_ out of the picture, it was time for the pirates' victor to face off against the Company's _next_ champion, the _Endeavour._ The _Endeavour_ had a three decks of cannons. With the _Pearl_ already battle worn, things were looking grim for the pirates. If the _Endeavour_ bested her, the rest of the Company fleet would sail right towards the pirates as they tried to turn and flee, and all out war would be engaged.

"There's no way the _Pearl_ will make it out of this," Rose murmured to her father. "Can't we help them?"

Teague shook his head. "If one of ours comes to the _Pearl's_ aid, then all of them will come to the _Endeavour's._ These are our victors—we must let this battle determine a winning side."

Rose's heart raced. "But they don't stand a chance! Why can't—" A large splash stopped her mid-sentence, and all of the pirates lying in wait watched in awe as the _Flying Dutchman_ burst out of the water a few ship lengths away from the nearing _Pearl_ and _Endeavour._ Noises of unrest began amongst the hundreds of pirate ships, and the _Misty Lady_ was no exception. The _Dutchman_ was back and was undoubtedly now going to side with the _Endeavour_. The three ships sailed right towards each other, almost as though they were going to collide head on at the same time.

Rose only stared at Teague in panic. "Father!" she cried. "What…" She couldn't even bring herself to finish her thought; _What do we do?_ Teague shared her uncertainty, though he cried out, "Make sail! We turn back!" Soon Rose heard similar cries pouring out in different languages across the surrounding vessels. She stayed stationary, however, unable to move in sheer disbelief; She was going to watch her brother die all over again.

Just then, something strange caught her eye, and she raised the telescope once more to get a better view of it. Pieces of the _Dutchman_ and bits of slime were falling off into the sea, and the ship now looked far less dilapidated and green. She was then alarmed to find that all of the crewmen…were men! Not seas creatures! That's when the _Dutchman_ and the _Pearl,_ almost in unison, changed directions and turned right towards the _Endeavour_ , taking either side to blast her apart.

"WAIT!" Rose cried out in triumph. "The _Dutchman_ is on our side!"

Teague rejoined her by her side and took the telescope from her to corroborate this. Finally, he handed it back to her and cried out, "Aye! Hold, men!"

So Davy Jones had had a change of heart after all…Rose traced the scope across the deck and nearly fell over when she saw it; Jones _did_ indeed have a change of heart, for his heart had been replaced by none other than Will Turner. There he stood at the wheel, a large scar across his chest. Rose was absolutely elated that Will wasn't dead, but then her joy ceased when she realized that…he _was._ With Jones gone, the cursed appearance of the _Dutchman_ was gone, though Calypso's sentence still remained. The _Dutchman_ must always have a captain, and with Will as the new captain, that meant he could only go ashore once every ten years. The gravity of this situation was not lost on Rose as she watched Barbossa, Jack, Elizabeth, and Will all collaborate to take down the _Endeavour._

They struck quickly and mercilessly, and the pirates cheered when Beckett's ship finally caved with a grand explosion and sank in a smoldering heap into the ocean waves.

"They're turning away!" Rose could hear Marty's voice cry from the _Pearl_ 's decks. Rose and Teague looked up to find that yes, the Company fleet was indeed retreating, their figurehead having gone down with his ship. All of the pirate ships erupted into cacophonous cheering and celebration. The war had been won, and the pirates were once again free from Company rule and the wrath of Davy Jones.

The _Pearl_ and the _Dutchman_ sailed alongside one another for a time, moving slowly with the gentle breeze as the merriment continued. Rose kept her eyes fixated upon Jack, looking proudly over his victory.

"You wish to go to him, don't you?" Teague said quietly from behind her.

She turned to him and smiled, "Yes of course. The _Black Pearl_ is his now. For good. I can return to sail with him as was planned."

Teague grinned. "I figured as much." They then paused, and a silent moment was shared between father and daughter.

"Where will _you_ go?" Rose finally asked.

He shrugged. "I'll be around. I'll be wherever the wind takes me. You can often find me here, though."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "To oversee the Code? Even though the Brethren's purpose is gone now?"

"It's…home. It's a place to weigh anchor and regroup. I'll be back here." He looked sincerely at her. "I can't imagine you'd need me, but if you do…you know where to find me."

Rose was moved at his words. Though simple, they were heartfelt, and she knew that this meant that a relationship with his daughter _was_ important to Teague. "Of course," Rose said with a smile. "Of course I will see you again."

He nodded again, then said, "I'll get a man to row you to him, then."

* * *

Once she had climbed aboard the _Pearl,_ Rose was instantly thrust into the still celebratory but exhausted crew. She had her hand shaken by strange men she had never seen before, got a warm embrace from Gibbs, and even got a slight tip of the hat from a stoic looking Barbossa. She then began to look around for Jack, but was distracted by the _Dutchman,_ still moving in sync with the vessel.

She crossed the deck and leaned on the railing to see if she could hail anyone; She wanted to speak to Will. When she glanced across the unfamiliar faces onboard, however, she came across a man at the wheel Rose never thought she'd see again.

"Bootstrap!" she cried, rushing up to the forecastle deck to speak with him.

"Aye?" he called back, confused. She had changed so much, though he looked exactly the same as the day she had left him. There was no way he would have recognized her.

"It's me, Rose Hexfury! Jack's sister!" she called out.

Bootstrap thought about this for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Rose! My god!" he said in recognition. "How do you fare, child?"

"Better than you have, I'm afraid!" she called back. "But what of the crew now? Will—"

"Jones killed him. Right before he died," he explained. "Jack had Will stab the heart."

Rose was shocked at Jack's sacrifice. He didn't have to save Will's life by allowing him the immortality Jack so desperately craved, but he did.

"I'm sorry…in a sense," she shouted back. "But I'm thrilled for you! Will and I…we've been friends for awhile now. He'll make a fine captain!"

"Aye!" called Bootstrap. "It's…a bittersweet time. But you're doing fine, then?

"I'm doing fine, Bootstrap!" she called. "Is Will there? I would like to see him."

Bootstrap shook his head sadly. "He went ashore for his one day. By sunset, we'll be off. I'm sorry."

That was crushing. She loved the sea, but she couldn't imagine sailing it for ten years at a time. "No, I understand," she said. "Give him my love, will you?"

He nodded. "Of course, Rose. Take care!"

"And you, Bootsrap!" She turned away, pensive. This was a bittersweet ending indeed. Calypso was freed, but Tia Dalma was no more. The Company was defeated and Jones was dead, yet Will took his place. Rose righted her wrong, reunited with Teague and could now return to the _Pearl…_ but something didn't feel right.

"Must we shout out our relations to undead sailors in broad daylight?" Jack's voice cut through her thoughts. "What did I tell you about that, love?"

Rose spun around and immediately embraced her brother, thankful for his safety. After a moment, however, she broke the embrace and swiftly punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Jack cried.

"What did _I_ tell you about keeping me aboard? You had no right to hand me off to Teague while you lot went off to fight! I wanted to be here!"

"You're here now, aren't you?" he protested, motioning towards the rest of his ship. "As are all of us. We did it. We've bested death itself."

"Have we _all_?" she asked pointedly, referring to Will. Her meaning was not lost on him, and he fell silent. "How's Elizabeth taking it?" she asked.

"We sent her ashore. She's with Will now." Jack flicked his wrist in the general direction of where Barbossa stood and said with a sneer. "Good ol' Barbie married them, it would appear."

"And what of you then, eh? I never thought you'd be so warmhearted as to act so selflessly for another."

"Pssh!" Jack said, deflecting her praise. "Will was…very persuasive with his…deadness. Thought I'd give him a go. _Dutchman's_ much too slimy anyways. Not really my style, come to think of it."

She gave a crooked grin, unconvinced. "Uh huh. So what's next for the immortality plan?"

Jack craned his neck to make sure Barbossa was out of earshot, then leaned close to her to whisper, "Those charts from Sao Feng serve several purposes." He grinned. "I'll get my eternity somehow."

Rose rolled her eyes at her incorrigible, insatiable brother. Despite his machismo behavior, she was massively impressed by his decision to help keep Will and Elizabeth's relationship alive, limited though it now was. She looked to the island where the two currently were spending their very short time together. "So, what, Elizabeth now has to stay there and care for Will's heart?" she asked aloud.

"Aye."

Rose blinked. "Alone?"

Jack only looked at her, which gave her her answer.

Her gaze drifted across the water towards Shipwreck. She found herself feeling so conflicted about her future. The _Pearl_ would restock and recover, then most likely sail away to whatever far off port struck Jack's fancy. The _Pearl_ was bound to no one else but him now—she would be free to visit all those far off places she dreamed of. But there was all of a sudden an overwhelming desire for something…else.

Jack leaned against one of her shoulders, following her gaze towards the island. "S'pose it was wishful thinking to imagine you'd be the same person after all this time." He looked down at her. "You don't want to come anymore, do you?"

She turned to him. "No, I do! I would love nothing more, but I…Jack, for the first time ever, I have felt _useful_ here. When you were dead, my life lost all meaning. The only thing that kept me going was coming here and helping others. And if there's one thing that I have learned, it's that you _don't_ need me, Jack. And, actually…I don't need you either."

Jack scowled. "Thanks."

"No, do you understand what I mean? Over these past few months, I survived entirely on my own. I defied all odds and used my own abilities to make a difference." She looked back to Shipwreck and smiled. "I think…I think I'm needed here. I think I have purpose here."

She turned back to her brother, who wore a sad smile, but clearly understood. "Should I ready a boat, then?"

"Aye," she whispered sadly.

In the moments that followed, she said her goodbyes to the crew, then climbed into the boat next to the crewman who was to row her to shore. Jack stood right on the other side, still smiling at her. "You'll let me come back and visit of course, won't you?"

"I'd expect nothing less!" She leaned over the railing and embraced him once more. "No dying this time, you understand me?" she joked.

He pulled out of the embrace. "I've made it out before, haven't I? After all, who am I?"

 _Captain Jack Sparrow_ was what he wanted to hear. She knew that, but still she replied, "My half-brother."

Before she knew it, the boat was lowered into the ocean and she was making her way back towards Shipwreck Island, though she watched her sibling as long as she could. She watched as he reached into his pocket absentmindedly and felt the object Rose had slipped into his pocket during their embrace—both Indonesian pendants.

"ROSE!" he called out, assuming that it was a mistake.

"Keep them!" she cried back. "A good luck token!"

He smiled again, and watched her until they could no longer see each other's expressions. At this time, Rose shifted her body away from the _Pearl._ That was the past. Shipwreck Island was her future.


	65. Chapter 32 - The Horizon

Rose walked barefoot through the sand to where Elizabeth sat, staring out at the horizon where the sun had set, taking Will and the _Dutchman_ with it. The sky was still dark blue, as the sun had just risen behind the island's large face, and its beams hadn't yet traversed the wide expanse of the sky.

She approached her, noticing that the chest containing Will's beating heart sat by her side. Suddenly, Rose felt very aware of her uncertainty in how to address her; Elizabeth? Miss Swann? Mrs. Turner? Your majesty?

"Captain Turner?" she finally settled upon.

Elizabeth's gaze remained fixed upon the horizon as she said softly, "Not anymore. I let Tai Huang captain the _Empress._ He was deserving of it in the first place. And I can't captain a ship anymore." She broke her gaze with the skyline and placed a hand over the chest. "I've got other duties now."

Rose couldn't gauge Elizabeth's emotions while standing over her shoulder, so she took a seat on the sand next to her on the side opposite where the chest sat. Gently, she asked, "What would you like to do now?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

"You can stay here for the night if you would prefer, or we could go back to Shipwreck Cove. Because of my father's status, I have plenty of access to its resources, and because of who _you_ are, it's practically your palace."

Still not making eye contact with Rose, Elizabeth postulated aloud, "Is one still a Pirate King once the founding principle of the Brethren Court has disappeared into the sea and the war has been won?"

"It doesn't change the fact that you were still elected."

Elizabeth scoffed, "By one vote. _And_ it was your brother's _and_ it was ultimately for his own reasons."

"Fine, then," Rose continued to counter her with optimism. "It doesn't change the fact that thousands of pirates followed you willingly into a battle that you led when all hope was gone. I was there, I saw it myself!"

This made Elizabeth finally look over at Rose, and she gave a slight smile at the memory of what that power felt like. Rose continued, "The war has _not_ been won. Our kind will continue to be hunted by those in power. We need a leader with the diplomacy the opponent has, and it's _you,_ Elizabeth."

Now Elizabeth's smirk had fully spread across her face. Quietly, she said, " _Our_ kind. So I am fully a pirate then, am I?"

"Listen," Rose mused, "I never imagined I would say this in such good spirits, but killing my brother is no easy feat for _anyone,_ let alone a proper lady of the Crown. You're a pirate through and through."

Elizabeth looked back down at the sand in front of her, lost once again in thought. Rose waited a few moments for a response, but when none came, she gently prodded her with, "So what's it going to be? What is it you want to do now?"

"I think…" she began, her voice trailing off. She took a deep breath and began again, "I think I need a drink."

The two women exploded in much-needed laughter that perhaps was fueled even more by the tumultuous and emotionally horrendous past few days, weeks, and months they had both experienced. They had both loved and lost, were pushed to their limits, were deceived and did some deceiving of their own, and risked everything for the good of their shared, "kind." Rose never thought she'd find this fellowship in a woman she began instantly hating, but she was so happy that she had.

"Alright," she said, placing her hands on her knees and sitting up straighter. "What's say we find a place to bury that chest for the night until we can find a safer, more permanent place, and then we make our way to the tavern at the town?"

Elizabeth furrowed her brow, though still she grinned. "Although that sounds delightful, surely you have somewhere else to be. Why aren't you with Jack?"

Rose felt nostalgia well up inside of her at this question. Indeed, if she was given another chance to sail the seas now free from terror with her half-brother, as was the plan so many years ago, why wasn't she currently with him as he sailed for celebration in Tortuga? "Because I have a very pressing matter to attend to here," she finally answered.

"Oh?"

"Aye."

"And how long do you expect you'll stay?"

"As long as you need me to."

Elizabeth's face fell at this. "Oh no, please. I don't wish for anyone's lives to change just for my sake just because… _this_ happened. The only people this should ever affect are Will and myself."

Rose interrupted her protests. "If you don't want me here, by all means, I will make myself scarce. But I could not stand there, sailing away on the _Black Pearl_ or the _Misty Lady_ , knowing that the bride of my friend would be entirely alone on a foreign island."

At the word "alone," Rose could see Elizabeth get visibly emotional, though still she managed to protest Rose's decision. "But you still have a family, Rose. Surely—"

"My father and brother both have ships. They can come to see me any time they wish."

Elizabeth's breathing had increased in pace. "I…I truly don't know what to say."

"Say if you want my help, because if not, I don't want to intrude."

"No," Elizabeth answered quickly, so quickly in fact that Rose barely had finished her thought before she replied. "I would very much appreciate your help and your company. I just…I can't believe you're being so kind to me."

Rose smiled a bittersweet smile as she found herself reciting words she had spoken only a few weeks previous to someone else she had been willing to alter her life for: "I think we can find joy by being heroes in this world of villainy." She took a deep breath, swallowing her residual embarrassment and still fresh wounds from her time with James. She continued, "What you have to face is unfathomable, and I don't want to see you face it alone."

This caused Elizabeth to burst into tears, mostly of joy, but also of previously bottled-up stress, rage, and sorrow. "I don't want to face it alone," she cried.

Rose was quick to pull her into an embrace, and there they sat together for a time. When it finally broke, Elizabeth said with a grateful grin through her tears, "I don't know how to possibly thank you!"

Rose took her hands and looked earnestly at her. "Promise me that you shall remain the Pirate King we still need. If Will can manage the dead, you can manage the living."

"So I shall," Elizabeth vowed. "But what of you, Rose? What future is there for you here?

Rose hadn't considered her own future beyond that of helping Elizabeth mourn and rebuild her life. But a shimmer of light off of Calypso's locket that now hung around her neck gave her an idea…and that idea sparked a wildfire that raged inside every part of her being.

"The world's best healer has been freed, thereby leaving that legacy to her apprentice," Rose finally replied. "I will manage the ailing."


	66. Epilogue Part 2

Rose had her eyes closed, yet she could still see the light from the candles that surrounded her. She felt their warmth, their glow. But suddenly, her eyes flew open when she heard a sharp movement of air extinguish a candle.

Sure enough, her eyes followed the direction of the sound, and she found the candle's black smoke drifting up from its wick.

 _Pfoosh,_ the sound came again, from behind her. Rose spun around, but only saw the extinguished candle's smoke again.

 _Pfoosh. Pfoosh._

Rose was frantic now, spinning around and around, not being able to catch whatever or whoever was blowing out the candles. The only thing she knew was that with every flame gone, Rose's eyesight was fading dimmer and dimmer.

 _Pfoosh, pfoosh, pfoosh._

"Show yourself!" she cried out, her voice echoing in the immense space before her.

 _Pfoosh. Pfoosh._

"Stop it!"

 _Pfoosh._

Finally, there was just one candle left. With nowhere to hide, Rose put her full attention on it. Whoever was blowing them out would _have_ to show themselves now. She heard footsteps approach, and the flicker of the flame began to illuminate its shape. First boots, then trousers. Then a bodice and laced shirt. Then raven hair. Then her face. A face who had matured significantly since Rose had last seen it, but one that struck fear into her heart.

"Angelica, no," Rose pleaded.

Angelica only grew closer and closer still to the candle. She gave a large inhale.

"Please, Angelica. Please…"

Then, _pfoosh._

Darkness, cold, silence. The silence was large and immense, and suddenly began to ring in her ears. This ringing increased and increased until it began to deafen her until—

"Rose?" Elizabeth asked, stirring her from the nightmare. Rose readjusted back into reality, noting the light that illuminated her makeshift bed in her father's old quarters in the Cove fortress.

"Aye?" she answered breathlessly.

"You're coming with us, correct?" Elizabeth asked, adjusting the tricorn hat atop her head. "We've got the ship ready to make sail for our sacking of Port Royal. I thought you said yesterday that you had business to attend to there."

Rose sat up and began to put on her boots. "Yes, sorry. I overslept."

Elizabeth looked concerned as they together descended the fortress. "Everything alright?" she asked on their trek.

Rose grimaced. "Another nightmare."

"Ben again?" she asked quietly.

Rose shook her head. "Shockingly, it was Angelica."

"Angelica? Have you dreamt of her before?"

"No," Rose replied. "And that's what concerns me. …I have a feeling I haven't seen the last of her."


	67. Prologue, Part 3

This hasn't been an easy job, I'll have you know.

Write the history of a woman who has gone unnoted. Study the accounts of her past in relation to the histories of Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Edward Teague, Calypso, King Elizabeth Turner and Captain Will Turner. It's no easy task. Thankfully, I have a copious amount of resources to help me tell the tale with the greatest amount of accuracy.

Rose Hexfury has been documented. That's all that matters now.

We now approach the end of Rose's story, and now that I'm in these final chapters, I wish to recant how I have organized her story up to this point. I have decided to break apart Rose's history in three main portions based on Rose herself. Part the first was when she was powerless, at the mercy of others, and was just learning to discover who she was. Part the second was about how she lost everything and through her failures, began to discover the scope of her power. We begin now on part the third and final portion of her story, which is something else entirely. I simply like to call this portion, "Powerful." You will now discover what became of Rose Hexfury, the captive gypsy girl who was prophesied to one day hold more power than any man could dream of possessing.

Lastly, have you forgotten about me? Your narrator, the one recanting the legend of Rose Hexfury? I told you at the beginning of my ledger that I was to come into play at the end of this saga, and I have not forgotten that promise.

I will return.

\- A.


	68. Chapter 1 - The Next Direction

Port Royal, Jamaica.

Rose was making her third approach to this town in two years, and despite her side now having the advantage over its inhabitants, she knew the fear and bad memories she associated with it would never quite leave her.

The first time was with Ben. They came in a small boat and hid in the kitchen of the temporarily abandoned Swann household while Jack, Elizabeth, Will and Barbossa were abroad fighting over the Isla de Muerta. That was the place that marked the beginning of the end for Rose and Ben's relationship. Although the curse was broken while they were there and they were soon able to reunite with Jack and the _Pearl,_ the trauma Ben experienced from his immortal days turned him into a creature of volatility, instability, and unhappiness. Rose would willingly give her heart to him, but his frequent rebuffing of her love began the deep hurt that followed him through his final death on the Isla de Pelegostos.

The second time was when she was utterly alone. The remnants of the _Pearl_ 's crew had been forced to leave her behind in Singapore, and she was captured and brought back to Port Royal to be hanged with thousands of other pirates seized by the East India Trading Company. She was rescued by Naval officer James Norrington, who recognized her from his previous pursuits to capture her brother. Knowing her association with Jack and the _Pearl,_ he devised to get information about the pirates' meeting place; Shipwreck Cove, the place Rose now lived. He ultimately succeeded, as the kindness he showed Rose warped her mind and made her act impulsively upon her feelings. After a time and some significant abuse by officers Norrington had no control over, she gave up that vital information he so desperately needed to repair his own shaky reputation with the Company. He then handed her over to the enemy to be hanged. Despite freeing her the next morning, the memory still felt like a dagger twisting in her chest.

Now Rose was coming here a third time, sailing on a ship called the _Bountiful,_ a former British expedition vessel of similar make to the _Black Pearl,_ but had been taken by a mutinous crew and pawned off at Shipwreck Cove after the war on piracy had ceased. She was sailing beneath the command of someone who had gone from a sworn enemy to her foremost friend and ally, Captain Elizabeth Turner. This time, Rose wasn't hiding from anyone. She wasn't anyone's captive. That didn't stop her from feeling apprehensive.

Elizabeth sensed this apprehension as they approached the harbor. "Are you alright?" she asked, stirring Rose from her thoughts.

"I'm fine," Rose said with a hasty smile. "Just...thinking."

Elizabeth nodded. "This should be fairly straightforward, just like we did at the bayou."

"If anything, this will be easier," said Rose. "It took hours to sort out what was useful in Tia Dalma's home and what was, well... _not._ " She then gave her a sidelong glance. "There's no surprise boa snakes lurking in your house, are there?"

Elizabeth laughed. "No, not that I'm aware of. Unless my father had a strange, secret hobby." She then motioned for Rose to follow her to the front of the quarter deck.

"Listen up, men!" she cried to her crew. All commotion on deck ceased as they looked up to their captain. These men were a ragtag group of misfits who had elected to stay behind on Shipwreck Island after the war had ceased. Elizabeth took command of the _Bountiful_ and commissioned a crew of about 18 men to help her and Rose sail it to retrieve their items from their respective childhood homes. The women's plans were build their homes in the Shipwreck Cove fortress and manage the affairs of the island. It was to be a safe haven, restocking facility, and hospital for Pirates. Rose liked to think of it as Tortuga, but more utilitarian. Tortuga was a safe place where Rose has seen pirates stay sometimes without end. Shipwreck was to be a place that pirates passed through en route to far off adventures. But first, before construction of this dream could take place, Rose and Elizabeth wanted the belongings from their past lives returned to them.

Now that she had their full attention, Elizabeth began her speech to her crew. "This mission is just like the last, with one large exception; This island is teeming with people. Jefferson, compile a crew of six. You keep the ship in motion, firing the starboard cannons to distract the men at Fort Charles."

"Aye, Cap'n!" her first mate, Jefferson, cried.

Elizabeth continued. "Lenoir, Micheaux, Addario, and Sterne, you will come with me and Hexfury up to the Governor's mansion, my old home. You will help us haul items back down to the docks. I want to be clear; Anything retrieved in the house belongs to me, understood?"

"Aye, aye!" the men cried out in unison.

"The rest of you will go ashore as well. As for you, loot whatever you wish, and bring it back for evaluation and equal distribution, as promised when you took this voyage. Half of you, follow the trail to the town square. There you will find the bank and a blacksmith's shop," Rose heard Elizabeth's voice crack at the mention of Will's old occupation. She quickly pulled herself together, however, and proceeded with, "The other half of you, head to the fort. There's much valuable ammunition up there. Be warned—there are still armed guards there. This brings me to my last command.

"None of you, and I mean _none_ of you, are to harm anyone ashore. Unless you are threatened or provoked, particularly by the men at the fort, you are to come and go peacefully. If I hear any reports of violence, you will not receive a single portion of the loot. This was my home, and I respect the people too much to resort to violence. Have I made myself clear?"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Rose and the men cried.

"Prepare the boats! Jefferson, take your crew to the guns! Step-to!" she cried out.

Rose looked at her friend amidst the sudden energy on deck. "In your wildest dreams," she said, "Would you ever imagine that you would one day be leading an attack against your hometown?"

"Honestly?" she replied. "I'm not all too positive that the past year _hasn't_ been a dream."

They both then piled into a longboat together and descended into the sea. Once they were out of range, Elizabeth called back up to the _Bountiful,_ "FIRE ON!" and the vessel began to fire its cannons at the fort. It took only a few short minutes for the fort to return fire, but Rose and Elizabeth shared a confused glance when they noticed that only four guns of the fort's prolific armory were actually operating. This was highly unusual.

Three longboats in sum rowed towards the docks, and among the cannon fire and the yelling and the splashing of the waves, Rose was pulled out of the moment once more.

 _I want you to live with even an ounce of the pain I feel. Maybe then you'd understand what you've caused,_ Ben's voice echoed.

James's came next, like a fly buzzing in her ear. _Inform Lord Beckett that we have the name of the pirate fortress, and that our prisoner shall be executed with the rest tomorrow afternoon._

 _Still slave to men, cherie?_ Rose jerked her head around when she heard her mother's voice beside her. Sure as the sun, her mother sat in the boat alongside her, her violet eyes piercing through her. _I told you that they were all the same, yet you do not listen._

Rose averted her eyes, refusing to respond to the vision, as she was uncertain in that moment of what was real and what was a figment of her imagination.

 _Ah, you see reason in my words!_ Anna's voice whispered. _The memories haunt you. Ben less, the Admiral more. Reclaim it then._

Rose looked back up to her mother's form, alarmed at this phrase. Anna repeated, _Reclaim the memory. Make it better. You know what you must do…_

Rose _did_ know what she must do. She had wanted to do it from the moment James betrayed her. Now was her chance. In a blink of her eyelids, Anna vanished and was replaced by a concerned looking Elizabeth, who had just asked for the third time in a row, "What's wrong?"

Rose blinked away her hallucination. "Nothing. I'm fine," she lied.

Elizabeth looked unconvinced, but let it go in the interest of the mission, for they had arrived at the docks. Upon anchoring and tying off, the pirates rushed to the shore. A small group of conversing merchants immediately cried, "PIRATES!" in terror and fled, but beyond that, the typical hustle and bustle that was Port Royal seemed to be no more. This struck all of them odd, yet they knew they had no time to question it.

"Those to the Governor's mansion, follow me," Elizabeth commanded. "You lot head up that trail to the square, the rest of you proceed up the hill to Fort Charles. Keep aware, and be back to the docks before Jefferson fires the last cannonball."

"Aye, Cap'n!" they cried out obediently, then split up. Rose, however, remained stationary.

"Rose?" Elizabeth asked. "You're coming, aren't you?"

She hesitated before replying, "Actually, I will go with the group headed to the fort. I have business to conduct there."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Oh? What business?"

"Something important to me is up there," she speedily replied. "I can't leave without learning of its fate."

"Whatever you had I'm sure is gone by now," Elizabeth protested. "I could really use you up at the mansion."

"Please, I must check."

Finally, Elizabeth conceded, and Rose raced up the hill to catch up with the others. The five pirates raced right to the fort's gates and stormed them, but were wholly unprepared for the ambush the remaining Company officers had planned. Eight men leapt out from behind a stone staircase and began to attack with their bayonet rifles. While four of them were quickly disarmed, Rose was at the rear of the group and was completely vulnerable from behind. With all of her attention in front of her, she didn't anticipate being kicked to the ground by a uniformed officer. As she turned in a roll on the ground, she froze stiff as soon as she felt the bayonet pierce her in the right side of her abdomen. She stayed there for a moment, until she felt the weapon get pulled out of her body. Then, before she quite knew what was happening, that same officer's body landed atop hers, having been dispatched by one of her crew. She threw him off of her and sat up, the pirate who had helped her offering her a hand to stand up.

It was more pain that Rose had ever before experienced, but she knew there was no time to lose; she had a job to do, and even if it meant her death, she was going to die trying. She put her hand over the wound and pulled it back to see the profuse amount blood gushing out of it. The other pirates had pressed onward, and she had to do the same.

While occupied with another group of Company officers, she charged past the rest of her men, still clutching her ribs. She had come this far; she was _not_ about to give up now. She followed the route she had traced in her mind a thousand times. _Up the stairs, around the corridor. Left turn. Skirt the courtyard. Left turn again._

She found it. The door that had haunted her memories for so long now. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought about finally taking the revenge she sought so much. She took a deep breath, and kicked in the door.

A wigged official she did not recognize was on the inside, pistol pointed right at her. "Don't come any closer," he shouted, voice elevated in panic, "Or I'll shoot!"

Rose tightened her jaw, quickly drawing her own pistol. "Who are you?" she spat.

"I'm not looking for trouble," the official said, hand still steady on the trigger. "My name is Theodore Groves. I survived the attack on the _Endeavour._ I merely seek passage home."

Rose took a quick glance around the room. Had she somehow gotten it wrong? _Was_ this Norrington's office? She couldn't have been mistaken.  
"We knew you'd be coming," Groves said with a gulp. "We knew that after the war, the pirates would retaliate. The British Crown removed the settlement here and ordered us to depart. It's yours, I swear it. Just let us go."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Who is in charge here? Let me speak to him!"

"I have the highest authority here," he reported. "I am the Lieutenant, and with Beckett gone—"

"Y _ou're_ the highest in command?" Rose said in alarm.

Groves nodded. "Yes," he replied.

"Um," Rose began, flustered. "I…I came here to speak with one of your officers. James Norrington? Where is he?"

Groves lowered his pistol slightly. His eyes glinted in faint recognition. "You're the gypsy girl he kept, aren't you?"

Rose clicked the barrel of her gun. "I wasn't _kept,_ " she hissed through gritted teeth.

Groves's breathing increase with Rose's increasing rage. "We don't know where he is," he said calmly. "We assume he didn't survive the war."

Rose felt as though she had been delivered a blow to the chest. Nearly half a year ago, she stood in this place, begging for James to come with her to Shipwreck Cove. The action would have freed him, and he might still be alive today, had he not made the one mistake that ultimately cost him his life.

Groves broke the silence. "He vanished aboard the _Flying Dutchman._ Any man who was stationed beneath him has died, so we can only presume he did as well."

 _Once again a slave to man_ , Rose heard Anna's voice say again in her mind. She seethed at the memory of his betrayal. Rose looked up at Groves. "You _presume?"_ Groves only nodded, but she didn't believe him for a second. "With a command as airtight and controlled as yours, you cannot confirm an Admiral's _death_?" she cried, walking closer towards him.

"Stay back," Groves ordered, adjusting his position so that his gun stayed aimed at her. "I swear it, I'll shoot!"

"You're protecting him, aren't you?" she spat. "WHERE IS HE?"

"I WILL PRESS THIS TRIGGER!"

"WHERE IS HE?" Rose screamed.

"ROSE!" Elizabeth yelled out, standing in the doorway. Rose broke her concentration and looked towards her friend, which normally would have provided the perfect opportunity for Groves to shoot her were he not just as surprised to see her there. "Miss Swann?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Turner," Elizabeth corrected, marching right to Rose's side. "We've got what we've come for. Let's go," she said firmly.

Rose just stood there, breathing heavily, furious at herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. Now Elizabeth would undoubtedly have questions.

" _You_ led the assault on us?" Groves asked, incredulously.

Elizabeth nodded. "Aye. We've taken what we needed, and will harm you no further. Come, Rose," she ordered, leading her outside. Before she exited, she turned back to him and said, "Safe travels back to England, Groves."

Groves was too in shock to do anything further.

Elizabeth and Rose wordlessly made their way back to the _Bountiful_ , walking past their pirate compatriots as they loaded the ship with the goods they were able to loot from the mansion, the fort, and the town. On their way back, Elizabeth asked Rose, "Good lord, what happened to your side?"

In the excitement of the moment, Rose had all but forgotten about her injury. The blood was still fresh on her white shirt, but she pulled it up to examine the stab wound, only to find dried blood in its place. Had she imagined it? Was it only a slight flesh wound? No, the hole in her shirt was proof enough… Rose had little time to think on it, however, for the crew had to hastily hoist up the valuables on deck and secure the longboats, fleeing rapidly back towards Shipwreck Cove.

Once aboard, Elizabeth led Rose by the arm and led her straight to the Captain's quarters as they began to make sail. There was much they needed to discuss.


	69. Chapter 2 - Moving On

In the Captain's quarters, Rose took a seat in an armchair, defeated. Her shoulders slumped forward, and she hung her head low.

Elizabeth leaned up against a nearby wall, looking down at her friend. "You want to tell me what that was all about?" she asked. Her voice was gentle, but pressing for further details.

There was no escaping this. Rose was discovered pointed a loaded pistol at one of Elizabeth's former colleague. There could be no further suppression in what she had done. Up until then, she had kept details about her capture on Fort Charles very vague to everyone except her father. She began slowly, her eyes still fixated on the floorboards in front of her. "Do you remember where we met?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course. We nearly ran you down with our carriage, James and I. Haven't we already made this connection?"

Rose took a deep breath, already on edge at even just the mentioning of his first name. "After that, Norrington grew quite accustomed to seeing me as he chased Jack and I across the Caribbean." She looked up. "He's the officer who freed me from Fort Charles after I was captured at Singapore."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "James freed you?"

"Well, that's all a matter of perspective, really," Rose snorted. "He recognized me in the execution line and pulled me out to interrogate me. By day I would stay in a cell, but by night I could sleep in his office." Rose shook herself from the memory. "The point is, he knew the only way to get to me was to get me to trust him. And I ultimately did." The hairs of her arms stood on edge as she finally voiced her confession of guilt aloud. "Elizabeth, that's how the Company knew of Shipwreck Cove. I told Norrington." Rose was suddenly filled with shame again, and she began to stammer. "I…I wasn't right in the head. I had just lost Ben…and Jack, and all of you, and…it wasn't real, any of it-"

"What wasn't real?"

"My feelings!" she said in exasperation. Then, more reservedly, she muttered, "He made me feel…things."

Elizabeth was dumbfounded. "Did you fancy him?"

"…I kissed him."

When no verbal response came, Rose looked up at Elizabeth to gauge her reaction to the fact that her most trusted friend had fallen for her former fiancee, but was confused to find Elizabeth trying to suppress a grin.

"Do you mock me?" asked Rose incredulously.

"No! Not a bit, I just…" stuttered Elizabeth, now fully unable to hide her amusement. "I can't believe two parts of my life collided like that without my knowing. Go on, how did he respond?"

"He went along with it. He said he'd figure out a way in which we could escape, and I… _foolishly_ told him that the pirates were meeting at Shipwreck Cove. He then called in the guards, and they took me back to my cell to be hanged within a fortnight."

Elizabeth shook her head. "But…that doesn't make any sense. You said he freed you!"

"And free me he did the morning after. It was the day he was to commandeer the _Dutchman_ , and he snuck me a key in some food he brought for me." She looked up at her friend. "I suppose guilt won out. That's why today, I broke off from the rest of you and went to the Fort. Just in case he survived the Maelstrom. But according to your friend, it would appear that he did not."

Elizabeth walked to Rose, taking a seat on one of the arms of the chair in which she sat. "No," she said quietly. "All that any officer who survived the war knows is that James never returned. They presume his death." She took a pause. "I can confirm it."

Rose looked up at her in alarm.

"I was there," Elizabeth said sadly. "He died saving me and the crew of the _Empress._ Bootstrap had gone a bit round the bend by that point, and he saw what James was doing and killed him for it. One of the first things I asked Will once he became the captain of the _Dutchman_ was to look for James aboard just in case he joined Jones's crew after he died but…he didn't."

Rose said nothing, and instead just silently took all of this information in.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Elizabeth finally said. "You could have asked me yourself about what happened to James."

Rose couldn't bring herself to look at Elizabeth any longer, for she was once again swimming in a large ocean of conflicting emotions that she was failing to process with grace. "It was already a humiliation that I endangered all of our lives because of my foolishness," she said. "I didn't want anyone to know anything more about it."

With that, she stood to leave, for she suddenly felt that she needed some time alone.

"Rose?" Elizabeth called after her. "If James had survived, and he was there at the Fort, what would you have done? What was to be accomplished by seeing him again?"

Rose cast a look over her shoulder. Demurely, she replied, "I was going to kill him. He had betrayed all of you by taking the heart for his own gains, had betrayed me, wanted Jack dead…he needed to be stopped, and I needed to be the one to finish it."

Gently, Elizabeth protested, "But he set you free. Trust me, I knew James's nature. He would not have done that if he didn't feel remorse." She then stood, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder. "The night he died, I too offered to bring him with me to Shipwreck Cove. He chose instead to ensure that I got there, and he perished for it. He was a hero, Rose. Believe me."

Rose continued to fight her emotions. She managed a forced smile and said simply, "If you say so."

Before she could exit the room, Elizabeth called out once more for her. "And Rose," she said. "You're never a fool for feeling love."

Rose shook her head. "It wasn't love," she replied. "And I _was_ a fool." She walked out the door and back onto the deck to busy herself with anything, any job or activity…just anything. If nothing could be done to help her kill the demons that haunted her past, then it was time to repress them again, just like she had always done.

A thought occurred to her, however, which caused her to stop. She looked back to the place where she had been stabbed by the bayonet, touching the shirt now crimson with her dried blood. She poked her finger through the hole in the shirt and felt around the place where the wound _should_ have still been. But there truly _was_ nothing except her skin as it always had been. She can't have imagined it all…could she?

* * *

"So what I'm thinking," Elizabeth said with a grunt as she and Rose slid a crate into the center of the room. "Is that this will be your storeroom."

Rose looked around the space. They were back at the Shipwreck Cove fortress, a large, towering structure made of various pieces of dozens of vessels claimed by the treacherous reef that surrounded Shipwreck. Rose had been here for a few months now, first with her father as the Pirate Lords gathered for the fourth and final Brethren Court. Elizabeth was declared the Pirate King there, and though her purpose in this role had run its course as soon as the war had been won, the two women had elected to stay to turn Shipwreck Island into the pirate safe haven of their dreams. The fortress consisted of three levels, and they currently stood at the ground level, which was the biggest of the three. "This room?" Rose asked. "But it's immense!"

"Where's that map?" Elizabeth asked, and Rose instantly went to a pile where she had placed one of her father's maps of the island. Rose kneeled on the ground beside the crate with Elizabeth, and they together spread the map out over it.

"Here we are," Elizabeth said, pointing to the circular cove on the map, "And just over this hill is the town, correct? And what are the merits of the town?"

"Tavern and brothel, market, blacksmith shop, tailor, and stables."

"Precisely. Small, but functional, and all things that a pirate could benefit from. What resources have we?"

"Breadfruit," Rose listed. "A freshwater spring just west of here. Plenty of timber for repairs. Fish."

"But what's missing is all the more important" noted Elizabeth. "The Cove is an ideal place to park vessels so that they are out of sight of enemy ships. And upstairs at the old Brethren meeting grounds is the Pirate Code and a meeting place. I can conduct business there with passing captains in terms of how long they can stay, the extent of their repairs and restocking, and the like. Any concerns with the Code can be managed by either myself or your father, if he's in.

"This floor will be yours. All the goods that we took from Calypso's shack are invaluable. Hospital, medicinal goods, trinkets and valuables. We'll stock them here! It's a trading outpost of sorts. And I think you are _just_ the person to manage it."

Rose couldn't help but grin at this plan. After all her time spent as a healer under Calypso's care during her childhood, she knew she was more than capable of this task. She also longed to fill up the crooked, bent, and cave-like walls of the fortress with all sorts of bric-a-brac. Just imagining what the future of this island would be like was a bright and much-needed ray of sunshine for Rose.

"But a trading outpost suggests that we will have a constant influx of new goods," Rose pondered. "How will we ensure of this?"

Elizabeth's eyes shined with excitement. "I gave the _Bountiful_ to Jefferson. It made sense; I won't be able to sail her, as I must stay here for Will's heart. So I gave him the vessel on the conditions that he make frequent returns, giving us half the loot he takes. That will at least get us started, and then other vessels can trade with us later on once we build repute."

This was an airtight plan. Elizabeth truly _had_ thought of everything. But Rose had one final question. "And what of the second floor of the fortress?" she asked. "What will we do with that?"

"I looked at that," replied Elizabeth. "There's four distinct areas which could be considered 'rooms,' would you agree?"

"Aye."

"Two for storage? Two for you and me?" she suggested.

Rose grinned. "That sounds absolutely ideal."

Elizabeth was elated. "It will be a challenge, and quite a good deal of work, but I think we can do it together. With just a bit of…" Her voice trailed off, and suddenly her face lost its color. Her eyes then grew wide and distant and her jaw tightened.

"What is it?" Rose asked, laying a hand on her arm. "Elizabeth?"

She then jumped to her feet and raced out the door to the sea, and began to wretch into it. Rose followed closely behind, waiting until she had finished, and then took her by the arm and led her back inside.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth apologized, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Something just came over me."

"Don't apologize," Rose said. "Do you think it's something you ate?"

Elizabeth grimaced, looking guiltily up at her friend. "If I'm being perfectly honest, no. It's been awhile of this."

Rose was alarmed by this, and cleared the map off the crate and sat her down on it. "How long?" she asked as she began a routine and basic examination on her to evaluate her health.

"Just a week or so," she replied. "It's just been nausea and fatigue mostly. I feel incredibly tired most of the day."

Rose checked her eyes, throat, and was beginning to feel along her jawline. To fill the space, Elizabeth said, "I don't usually get ill. It's uncommon for me. Even on the way to Singapore, it was a wonder that I didn't fall ill when Will did." She smiled as she began to reminisce, "I remember when we were young, I came down with an illness. I had spent every day for months with Will, playing and talking. That was in the early days, right after we arrived in Port Royal. Well, when I fell ill, I vanished without notice, so naturally Will was concerned. He came to my home, marched bravely up to our door and demanded to see my father. But once he had, he realized that he knew me only as 'Elizabeth.' He didn't know if I had a title, so he mistakenly asked to see 'the princess.'

"Well, you can imagine that my father was rather confused. He thought Will had gone mad and sent him back to Mr. Brown's shop. Thankfully, after a week of bedrest, I was back to it, and we were able to clear up the confusion." She laughed at the memory, then grew somber. "That was before my governess decided that it was no longer appropriate for a lady to keep company with an apprentice. But those days with him were…blessed."

Elizabeth was drawn out from her story when she noticed that Rose's face held a worried expression.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

Rose looked up at her, mouth fumbling for the right words to ask a delicate question. "When…well, what were the—" She cleared her throat and began again. "After the war, when you went ashore with Will…what was the…nature of your time here?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "We're husband and wife, Rose. What do you think?"

Rose put her hands up defensively. "Just thought I'd ask!" She then struggled to suppress a grin as she said. "I…just wanted to make sure that my diagnosis is correct."

Elizabeth's eyes instantly filled with tears as soon as she realized what she meant. She then barreled into Rose, clinging to her in an embrace.

"Oh my god," she said through a laugh. "Oh Rose, you'll help me, won't you."

Rose burst into laughter. "No, you're on your own, Elizabeth. Best of luck delivering a child entirely on your own."

Elizabeth pulled herself out of the hug. " _My_ child," she exclaimed. "Will and I…are having a child!"


	70. Chapter 3 - The Girl and the Boy

The impending birth of the Turner baby should have been a time of relaxation, comfort, and preparation. It was anything but. In the months that followed, Rose and Elizabeth both barely slept a wink they were working so hard. Jefferson delivered on his promise, and even added several more pirate ships to the mission of looting valuables for the trading post in exchange for money. Rose's storeroom soon became so full with these goods that they _had_ to utilize both rooms the women had set aside on the second floor, in addition to most of Rose's room. She resorted to Calypso's method of hanging valuables and various jars full of items from the rafters, just so that there would be room for everything. She had tables and shelves and bureaus full of books, jewelry, baubles, trinkets, heirlooms, furniture, and textiles. On the side closest to the stairway which led to her room, she kept her infirmary and hospital. Much like how Calypso had kept it, Rose had organized books and vials and bottles of herbs, poultices, and potions at the ready, as well as had a particularly handy local in Shipwreck build her a fireplace that vented out the side of the fortress to brew more remedies. There she had laid out three cots and kept her desk, as well as a hammock if she ever needed to spend the night overseeing patients' ailments.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, was busy negotiating resource allotment and docking schedules at the Cove. She helped Rose stock her storeroom and insisted upon being at every town function, though Rose preferred it that Elizabeth keep herself and the baby rested. Rose's checkups on their wellbeing were frequent, sometimes much to Elizabeth's annoyance. But each time there was nothing to fear; Mother and child were healthy and strong.

Repute grew for the island of Shipwreck. The economy of the town grew significantly as more and more heard about the island's many merits, and soon the town grew several businesses stronger. The Cove was frequented, and Rose's storeroom was consistently teeming with pirates. Attempted theft was frequent, but Rose always kept her pistol on her to dissuade such activity.

It was in one of these early days that Rose woke and came down into her shop to set up for the day when she turned a corner and nearly leapt out of her skin as she came across a familiar face she thought she'd never see.

"Barbossa!" she cried out. She placed a hand on her chest. "You gave me a fright!"

Barbossa only glared at her with bloodshot eyes and moved away from her, examining the contents of her shelves. His appearance was jarring—his face wore a pallor of grief, his shoulders hunched, and he had a profound limp. Rose's eyes traced his form down until she saw the reason for this limp—his lower leg was gone, replaced by a hunk of what appeared to be driftwood.

Rose gasped. "My god, Barbossa," she cried, "What on earth happened?"

He reacted as though she had said nothing, and just kept looking through her shelves. Rose came closer to examine the leg. Any number of factors could have explained its absence; disease, infection, taken by force… He wasn't letting her get close enough to properly examine it and check him for further infection, however, so she had to stand back and let him be.

Perhaps most disturbing was that Jack the monkey was not with him. Something had definitely gone awry in Barbossa's life since he had left with Jack. She innately feared the worst for her brother, and she took a moment to devise a sensitive way of approaching that topic. "Do you still sail with Jack?"

He stopped, glared at her, then turned away.

 _That's a no,_ she thought. At least that meant that Jack might not be in as much trouble as Barbossa appeared to be in…So he must have devised a way to leave Barbossa behind, separated from the _Black Pearl._

She approached him cautiously from another part of the room, like prey approaching a sleeping predator. "Barbossa?" she asked, voice low. "Is…is there anything I can help you with? What do you search for?"

He still said nothing, eyes roaming her wares. She tried to think of any medicine he might be searching for, any object of value she had lifted from Tia Dalma's home, but she was coming up empty. How did Barbossa find out about her establishment?

"Elizabeth and I manage the Cove now," she idly said in attempts to make small talk. "We wanted this place to be a safe haven for pirates. We manage the resources and affairs of the town." Then, she gently tried to pry more details from him by saying, "Clearly _something_ must have worked, for you found us."

This still did nothing. Barbossa only shifted and limped back towards the front of her shop. Suddenly, he stopped, staring at a table where Rose did the majority of her business. She walked around and looked where he was looking. He then gingerly picked the object up; a small, leather-bound notebook. He flipped through its blank pages.

He looked back at her. "Yours?" was all he asked.

She shook her head. "All of these goods are looted from elsewhere. They're all up for barter or purchase."

Barbossa looked back to it, nodding slowly. "She'll be bright. …the brightest," he muttered.

She stepped closer toward him. "Who?"

He jerked his head around to her and shot a fiery glare at her, unwilling to explain a thing. She put her hands up defensively. "Very well." Then, after a moment, she hesitantly added, "If it's a notebook you seek for this mystery girl, I have one that is worth considerably more." She quickly swept around towards her desk, opening a drawer where she kept the items that she thought might hold particular value or hidden secrets. She knew _exactly_ what she wanted, and found it immediately, bringing it back to Barbossa.

"It's a different notebook, though this one is partially used," she said, flipping through the worn pages. She then showed him the cover, which was black with gold bordering on the cover with a asymmetrical ruby inlaid the center. Below the ruby was an illustration of what appeared to be a pronged constellation. Opening the cover, she showed him the first page, which had written across it the name of its original owner. "Galileo Galilei," she said. "All my evidence suggests heavily that its authentic."

Barbossa narrowed his eyes. "From where does it come?"

"My source plundered an Italian vessel. This was among the winnings. It was almost thrown overboard, considered worthless, but he saved it for the ruby alone. I rather think, however, that there's something _else_ hidden within," She extended it out to him. "I haven't the time to investigate, but given our shared past with elements of the supernatural, it might prove useful to you. Or even your friend."

He took it from her and examined it closely, then after a moment asked, "What do ye want for this?"

Rose doubted that he had anything of value on him, let alone money. She shook her head. "It's yours."

He gave her a quizzical look, and she explained, "Consider it long overdue payment for bringing me my brother back… given that he's still-"

"He's fine," he huffed while rolling his eyes. "He made it out."

 _Made it out of where?_ Rose thought. But she could tell that Barbossa was unwilling to give her answers. Jack was safe, and that was all that mattered.

Barbossa gave her an acknowledging nod, pocketed the book, then asked simply, "Ye have a map?"

"Aye," she said, walking to where she kept the rolls of various maps she had collected. She paused, then turned back. "Local or international?"

He rolled his eyes again. "Why would I possibly need a local map?" he spat.

"Alright, alright," huffed Rose, retrieving a map of the world. She returned, spreading the map out on the table. She watched as Barbossa traced his finger from Shipwreck Cove to an island called St. Martin, then all of a sudden stop and stay stationary. Rose looked up at him to see what had caused him to pause, only then realizing that he had done so because he was glaring at her rubbernecking. She gave a guilty glance and moved a few paces off, but craned her neck just in time to see him trace a route from St. Martin to England. After that he rolled up the map, handed it back to her, then began to arduously limp his way out of her shop. It pained Rose to not be able to help him further, but there was nothing she could do. Unless…

"Barbossa, wait!" she cried, rushing to a far corner of the shop. She retrieved a simple crutch and held it out to him. "I know it isn't much," she said, "But it will help."

He gratefully took the crutch and put it under his arm. "Thank ye," he gruffly replied.

"Take care," she said, watching him as he struggled along his way. Rose and Elizabeth had anticipated their plans to bring about pirates from all walks of life, but she never expected in all her days this strange encounter from someone from her past. That was the last time she ever saw him.

Only a month later, Rose performed the most terrifying task she ever had to do; safely deliver the baby of her treasured friends. Elizabeth had stumbled into Rose's infirmary early that morning, reporting, "I think the baby is coming!" Rose instantly closed down her shop for the day and helped Elizabeth down onto a cot. Rose had helped several bayou-dwellers in labor, and comparatively, Elizabeth' was rather quick, but certainly no less painful. In some of the worst moments, Elizabeth had pain-induced tears streaming down her face as she cried out Will's name, repeating over and over again, "I need you here!" Rose felt for her friend, but there was nothing that could be done about that. A few hours later, Elizabeth gave birth to a boy. Exhausted yet relieved, the two women celebrated his first few moments on earth alone and together. Rose slept in the hammock that night alongside mother and child, and in the morning when she woke, she saw Elizabeth holding her swaddled, sleeping child with a bittersweet smile on her face.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Rose asked, her voice cutting through the silence.

Elizabeth looked up at her. "William, naturally." Then, her eyes grew distant. "This will kill him," she said, obviously alluding to Will, her husband who wouldn't know that he had a son until he returned to Shipwreck Cove for his one day on land in another nine years. "It's just history repeating itself. Will lost his father to the _Dutchman,_ grew up without him being present. Now our son will grow up, having lost his father to the _Dutchman_ and growing up without him being present… He'll be crushed by this."

Rose threw her legs over the hammock, considering this for a moment. "The War on Piracy. Remember when Jack called the parlay, and you, him, and Barbossa met on land to negotiate with Will, Beckett and Jones?"

"Aye," Elizabeth said. "I'm not sure I understand how that connects…"

"How did Jones step foot on land? Ten years wasn't up for him."

Elizabeth suddenly found the reason in her words. "A bucket!" she cried. "Jones stood in a bucket of water!"

Rose grinned. "What if there's a way?" she asked. "What if there's a way we can bring Will here now?"

* * *

Rose tied off the sail of the dinghy she borrowed from the owner of the Shipwreck Tavern. The boat quivered with the vibrations caused by the beating of Will's undead heart through the metal chest, which was stained with fresh dirt from where the women had dug it up from the place in which they had hid it for safekeeping. She turned and nodded to Elizabeth, who held her sleeping newborn in her arms up on the dock. Wordlessly and with a slight air of excitement, Elizabeth lifted the key to the chest, which she always kept hanging around her neck, and handed it to Rose.

All it took was a north facing wind to start her out against the incoming tide out to the open sea. Once she had made it out far enough, Rose took the key out and placed it inside the heart-shaped lock. The chest clicked open, and for the first time ever, Rose saw the legendary heart which captained the _Dutchman._ She took a deep breath, reached inside the chest, and squeezed the heart firmly. The idea was that Will would feel the disturbance with his heart and instantly come back to Shipwreck Island to see what was the matter.

Sure enough, only a few moments later did the _Flying Dutchman_ burst out of the ocean, sending the dinghy rocking violently with the disturbed waves.

Voices on deck cried out to her from above: "Ahoy!" "Who goes there?"

"PARLAY!" Rose shouted up to them.

She started when Will materialized out of the mast of the dinghy. He instantly sat across from her, eyes wrought with worry. Though this was the first time the old friends had seen each other since Singapore, Will was too panicked for pleasantries. He looked down, seeing the open chest with his own heart beating inside. "What is it? What's the matter with the heart?"

"Nothing," Rose said in a calm tone. "We just needed a way to call you here."

"What's the matter? Elizabeth?"

"She's fine, I assure you."

"What is it then?" His eyes searched hers.

Rose reached out and laid her hand atop his. "I cannot say. You must simply come with me."

Will shook his head. "I can't go ashore…"

"I know," Rose replied. "That's why we came to you."

She then steered the boat back towards the town docks and with the wind on their side, it was a very quick journey. The spoke not a word further, as Will was wringing his hands in anxiety. Rose wished she could assuage his fears, but she was keenly aware that this moment was not hers to reveal. The docks were in sight now, and upon seeing them, Elizabeth stood from the crate where she had been sitting and walked to the furthest edge of the dock. Rose kept her eyes on Will as she saw his eyes find his wife. Suddenly, his brow furrowed upon seeing the bundle she carried in her arms.

"R-Rose?" he stammered. "That- Is that…?"

Rose grinned, though her eyes teared up. "It is."

Will smiled larger than she had ever seen before and laid a hand on his face in disbelief. "When? And…everything is alright? I…I have so many questions!"

"Everything was fine," she said. "Everything _is_ fine. You see why we had to call you now?"

He gave a slight laugh, breath still short with his sheer joy. "Girl or boy?" he asked.

"Boy."

"Name?"

"Well, that's another matter," she began. "We decided upon William, family legacy and all. But with three William's around now, we figured that might become terribly confusing. We've resorted to calling him by his middle name."

Will leaned towards her in interest. "Which is?"

Rose shrugged. "Up to you."

They were incredibly close to the dock now, and Rose swiftly reached out and tied the dinghy as tightly as she could to make sure it was secure. She then helped Elizabeth aboard, where she shared a tearful reunion with her love. Rose climbed out and back onto the dock, where she wandered off for a time so that the new family could have privacy. When she did come back a time later, her heart felt as though it was going to burst at the sight of Will holding his son, and Elizabeth resting her head on Will's shoulder with her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Well," Rose interjected, looking down at them from the dock. "What's his name?"

Will and Elizabeth exchanged a glance. They clearly hadn't gotten that far. Will looked back down at his son, examining his face.

"Henry?" he asked Elizabeth finally.

She nodded and whispered, "Henry."

Rose grinned. _Henry Turner._ And with parents like Will and Elizabeth, Rose knew he would grow to become someone amazing.

Will shifted, looking back towards the _Dutchman,_ which bobbed on the waves with sails furled, waiting for him. He looked back to his wife, face somber. "Another horrible sunset approaches."

Elizabeth laid a hand on his cheek. "It's not horrible. It means one day less before you can come home to me."

He leaned in to kiss her, then he regarded his sleeping son once more. "Be good to your mother, you," he murmured, then slowly, reluctantly, he handed him back to Elizabeth. "Be good…Henry," he murmured.

Rose helped Elizabeth back to the docks where she stood, and together, they looked back at Will to say their goodbyes.

Will, however, extended a hand. "Rose?" he asked expectantly. Rose was confused by this, for all Will had to do was meld back into her dinghy and instantly, he would arrive back on the _Dutchman_ 's deck in time to return to the Locker. He was wanting her to sail them back out to open waters, away from Elizabeth. Rose suddenly realized…this was intentional. There was something Will wanted to speak to her privately about. She took his hand and was helped aboard, then prepared to make sail.

Will stayed planted as close to the dock as he could get as he looked up Elizabeth and Henry. "Every time I leave it gets harder and harder to do so," he said.

Elizabeth nodded, placing a hand on the side of his face once more. "We'll be here, keeping a weather eye on the horizon for you, my love."

As Rose unfurled her sail and the boat pulled away from the dock against the incoming tide, Will sat, staring at his new family as they grew smaller and smaller from his sight. Distantly, they heard Henry begin to cry, and Rose saw Will's face twist up in pain. She stayed quiet, waiting for him to approach her first.

He stayed there until Elizabeth was but a blur in the distance, then he said softly to himself, "I have a son." He turned inwards towards her, though his eyes were still downcast. "I have a son," he repeated. His face then contorted once more. "I have a son…who I will see what, five more times at most? And each time, he will have grown so that he is unrecognizable to me."

Rose felt a pang of empathy surge through her. "My god, Will," she said. "Should we not have told you? Should we have waited until the ten years were up? I…I am so sorry!"

He considered this for a moment, then looked sincerely at her. "No," he replied. "I'm so glad you _did._ This gave me the hope I needed. And now I return to two of my family." He then shifted so that he took her hands in his. Earnestly, he implored her, "You've already done so much for us, and I wouldn't dream of asking more, but you will see to it that they're safe?"

"Of course," Rose whispered.

"And lastly," he said, swallowing his reluctance, "Please don't call me here again. Not unless there's something terribly wrong, god forbid."

She shook her head, "No, of course. I shouldn't have—"

"No," Will protested, "No, I sincerely thank you. I just…I pray that you never have to live this hell. It's unthinkable. But at least the moments I have with him amount to more than nothing at all. Just knowing Henry exists will make the unbearably long days before I see him again fly by, I know this. Just…it's too painful to return more often than that."

"I understand," Rose said. She then followed his gaze to the _Dutchman,_ which, upon seeing the dinghy approaching, unfurled her sails and began to sail towards the horizon. It was time for Will to depart.

He embraced her firmly. "Thank you," he said. "I will relish the day I discover who you and my wife have raised my son to be."

When they released, Rose smiled and said, "I will see you in nine years, Captain."

"Yes," he replied. He looked up, as though trying to remember something. "What is it you once said? 'When there's reason to smile again,' was it?"

"Aye. When there's reason to smile again," she quietly spoke. Will nodded at her, then, before her eyes, was gone. Rose immediately turned back so that she could make it safely back to shore before her eyesight waned, but she turned to face the sunset.

 _Seldom times, one can spot a green flash along the horizon,_ Rose heard her mother's voice flitter by from days long since past. _You remember when I told you that there are those who can travel between the worlds?_

Rose closed her eyes and smiled. "Aye, maman," she whispered to no one.

 _The flash of green indicates when a soul enters the Land of the Living from the Land of the Dead! Wait and see…_

Rose opened her eyes, catching the last glimpse of sunlight dip below the horizon. She blinked when the green flash burst, completely engulfing Will's ship in a split second. They were gone.

Rose took a moment to consider her life and all of its many strange occurrences up to that moment. Never would she have guessed that a once parentless gypsy girl would grow to manage an island fortress with the Pirate King, and help to raise the son she bore with the successor to Davy Jones. In that moment, Rose realized that for all her weaknesses, she wasn't like her mother at all. She was stronger.

 _Read it again Rose…_ Anna's voice haunted her for the a last and final time.

"Desolee, maman," Rose replied. "I don't think I will this time."


	71. Chapter 4 - Henry

"Henry!" Rose called from the doorway of the townhouse of Mathilde and Thomas Davis. "Come along now!" _Please come quickly, Henry,_ Rose thought to herself as she tapped her foot anxiously. _Please, before Mathilde has a chance to corner us—_

But it was too late. In the open doorway appeared a bitter-looking Mathilde, auburn hair perched high above her head. Her arms were crossed as she looked at Rose with disapproval.

"Where's Mrs. Turner?" she said, voice laced with sass.

Rose delivered it right back. "Preoccupied with an incoming ship," she said. "She sent me to pick him up."

Mathilde pursed her lips, glaring at her. "He's in here," she said, motioning with her head towards the inside of her home.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Well, could you bring him _outside,_ please? We must be on our way."

Mathilde rolled her eyes and sauntered back into the darkness of her home to go fetch the boy. Rose was seething. If Henry was _her_ son, she would have nothing to do with this family. Mathilde was an educated maid originally from England who fell in love with Thomas, a sailor, and stowed away on his ship to elope, only then to become pirates. When Mathilde was pregnant with her second child, however, they decided that it was time to find a permanent home, and after the war, they found Shipwreck Cove. Thomas was a skilled merchant and helped manage the market in the town, while Mathilde stayed at home raising her now four equally bitter children. They were all of comparable age to Henry, who was now four years old, and Elizabeth trusted Mathilde to watch over him whenever there was business to attend to. Rose supposed that this was wise; In dealing with sometimes cutthroat and dangerous pirates from all walks of life, it was not safe to keep a small child around. She just wished that it didn't have to be _Mathilde…_

Mathilde reappeared, leading a sniffling Henry out the door.

"My god, Henry!" Rose cried, rushing toward him and kneeling so that she was looking right at him. "What's the matter?"

Henry's dark eyes were rimming with tears again as he said sadly, "They made fun of me. Said I told lies."

"Who said that?" Rose asked, glaring at Mathilde. She knew full well who said that—her older daughters.

"Odette n' Caroline," he confirmed. "But I told them! Father's helping save souls! He's doing it right now! Is he?"

Rose grimaced. She knew this day would eventually come. Elizabeth was not about to lie to Henry about where or who his father was, but Henry couldn't yet understand why it was so important that he never reveal that information. If anyone knew that it was Elizabeth's husband who captained the _Flying Dutchman,_ they could very easily use that against them, either blackmailing the family or harming Will's heart, which was still hidden on the island.

Rose was trying to find a way to calm Henry down in a delicate way, and she finally decided to do so by asking him, "Do _you_ believe he is?"

Henry nodded adamantly.

Rose smiled. "Then he is."

Mathilde snorted. "You should be ashamed of yourself," she spat at Rose. "Feeding the boy that nonsense poison. It'll only harm him, you know."

Rose stood, taking Henry's hand and looking at her square in the eyes. "Say goodbye to Mrs. Davis, Henry," she said in monotone.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Davis," repeated a now far happier Henry, who began to skip alongside Rose as she walked away. She would have successfully made it off their property as fast as she could if the sound of snickering didn't stop her. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw the girls Odette and Caroline peering out from behind the household's wood shed. Rose caught one of them whispering, "sea witch" to the other, and Rose tried not to let it bother her as she continued on her way. It had been slow to build, but gossip from nearly five years previous had now the entirety of the town distrusting her. When Calypso was freed, Rose, onboard her father's ship at the time, collapsed into a seizure. She regained consciousness shortly thereafter, and watched as Calypso created a maelstrom to return to the Locker. However, Teague's crew had seen the strange timing of Calypso's freedom and Rose's episode, and a few superstitious men assumed that it was she who had caused the maelstrom. Once ashore, this rumor spread and eventually gained traction. Now, Rose couldn't go anywhere without being called, "sea witch" or being treated as though she were plague-ridden. Rose thought it was incredibly convenient, however, that whenever anyone was ailing and in need of her assistance, these prejudices disappeared almost entirely until after they were healed and out of her care.

Rose was drawn out of her stewing rage when she felt Henry pull his hand from hers. "Mother!" he cried, racing ahead.

Elizabeth was walking right towards them. She scooped Henry up into a wide embrace. "Oh my boy!" she said with a grin. "How I missed you today!"

"You finished early," Rose remarked.

"Aye," replied Elizabeth. "Captain Atencio settled on a silk trade for a dozen barrels of rum."

"Ooh," Rose winced. "Bet he wasn't happy about _that._ "

Elizabeth shrugged. "I told him if he wanted a week at the Cove, that's all I was willing to part with."

"Mrs. Turner!" Mathilde cried from the house. "A word?" Rose cringed, knowing full well what this was about.

Elizabeth, balancing Henry on her hip, gave Rose an amused look. "What have you done now?"

"I exist," snorted Rose.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Any guesses on what Mathilde could possibly want to talk about?" she asked sarcastically, for every time Henry spent the afternoon here, it was always the same conversation. "'Don't you think the both of you would be better off without that Hexfury girl? She's a bad influence, I tell you,'" Elizabeth mimicked.

Rose laughed. "Aye, but this time I fear that it's something more."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in interest. "Oh? Anything wrong?"

"Only a bit, but we can discuss it later."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, we'll discuss it now." She turned to Mathilde, waved her hand and called out, "Apologies, Mrs. Davis! We really must be hurrying along! Thank you ever so much!"

Rose grinned as Elizabeth lowered Henry down to the ground and let him run ahead as long as he stuck to the path they were taking back to the Cove as they left the Davis home.

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked in concern.

"Henry was telling them about Will," Rose replied, giving a concerned, sidelong glance.

Elizabeth laid a hand on the side of her face in frustration. "Splendid," she said sarcastically. "How much did he tell them?"

"Not enough to convince them it was the truth," replied Rose. "They think I'm bewitching his mind, or something like that."

"Well, that's not entirely untrue," Elizabeth said disapprovingly with narrowed eyes. "Where's he been getting the freshly cut sugar cane, Hexfury?"

Rose chuckled and feigned innocence. "I know not, I swear!" she lied. "Certainly not I, despite having paying off traders for a large shipment of exactly that!"

"I'm his mother, shouldn't _I_ be the one to spoil him rotten?"

Rose pushed her shoulder against her friend's playfully. "Oh come now! Let me have this! I need a child to spoil." Then, growing a bit more contemplative, she said, "Lord knows _I'm_ never going to have the chance for one of my own…"

Elizabeth looked over at her at this. "Don't say that," she reassured her. "Lord knows what your future holds. And what ever happened to Matthew?"

Rose shook her head. Matthew was a pirate who once frequented Rose's storeroom for trade a few months back. Elizabeth was convinced that his returned visits were a result of an attraction to Rose, and convinced her to approach him. They spoke awhile, but nothing ever came of it. When it came down to it, Rose simply wasn't invested. Her mind felt muddled whenever they would meet, and she hardly would hear a word he'd say. She could still feel herself repressing the hurt from heartbreaks of years past. "He grew disinterested," Rose told Elizabeth. "He hasn't been around in months."

"Not worth it anyway," Elizabeth shrugged. Then, after a moment, she exclaimed, "What about the butcher?"

Rose raised an incredulous eyebrow and looked at her in horror. "The _butcher_? Elizabeth, if I wanted to waste my time on a men who deals in chopping up animals, I'd marry a shark." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "No, I'm…fine. I'll be fine."

"You seem restless to me," said Elizabeth. Rose would never know just how she did it; how she was always able to see right through her. She continued, "You _do._ You're a gypsy, Rose. You're meant to move from place to place, not stay here. This doesn't seem to be a good fit for you." She could see that her words were getting through to Rose, so she lowered her voice and suggested, "If you left, it would be fine, you know. Get your own ship and crew, see the world…"

Rose quickly shook her head. "No, I made a promise to stay here."

"To my paranoid and protective husband who was freshly emotional on discovering that he then had a son!" Elizabeth protested. "No one would blame you if you left, Rose. Henry and I can manage."

Rose would be lying if she said that she didn't feel constricted by Shipwreck, especially now that the entire town treated her like an outcast. The reason she decided to leave behind Jack and the _Pearl_ once the war was one in the first place was twofold; to help Elizabeth, and to satisfy her newfound purpose of helping those in need. While she cherished both of these reasons, it was true—Rose had gypsy and pirate blood, and inevitably longed for adventure. But to her, leaving was impossible at this point. The last time she went back on her word, it meant Jack's death. She wasn't about to test fate again. She smiled as she said, "Out of the question. I'm here to stay." Upon seeing Elizabeth's skeptical expression, she emphatically insisted, "I _promise,_ I'm fine!"

Elizabeth only sighed, reluctantly letting the subject go. She gazed ahead at the path, smiling when she saw Henry pick up a stick and start swinging away at the air in front of him, no doubt picturing some imaginary foe he was doing battle with.

Rose saw this too, and she chuckled. "Ah, a budding swordsmen, eh?"

"Like father, like son," Elizabeth agreed. She then furrowed her brow, growing worried. "I'm not raising him poorly, am I?"

"I wouldn't know," Rose snorted bitterly, as both of her parents were relative nonentities in her childhood. Then, more sincerely, she replied, "No, I don't think one bit, Elizabeth. He's sweet and bright and healthy. What more could you ask for?"

"It's not that. Should…should I stop talking about Will to him? Until the time comes when he is to return? Henry will perhaps forget…"

"Oh he most definitely will," Rose said. "And I don't think that that is at all wise. Take it from someone who knows what it's like to grow up wondering who their father is, the less you know, the more room there is to imagine who he may be, and bigger yet, why he doesn't want to be with you. What it is about _you_ that makes him not want to be with you." She looked at Elizabeth sincerely. "Keep telling him about Will. The truth. We'll remind him to keep it a secret between us, but definitely keep telling him." Just then, the three of them had come just at the top of the crest leading down to the Cove as sunset grew ever nearer. Upon looking at the piled ships that made up the fortress, Rose said, "Speaking of absent fathers," Rose said, "Would the both of you care to join _mine_ for dinner tonight?"

* * *

Together at one end of the great table where the Brethren Court once met, Rose, Teague, Elizabeth, and Henry dined together.

Wiping his mouth on a napkin, Teague said aloud, "I thank ye both for giving me something other than salted pork. It's been too long of anything else."

"Come now, Father," Rose joked, "We all know that your diet primarily consists of rum."

Teague grinned, considering this. "Well, you're not _wrong…_ "

Elizabeth laughed, then said, "We wouldn't be eating much more than salted pork if trade hadn't been so excellent recently."

"Is that right?" Teague asked. "My, what you lasses have been able to do with this island is something admirable."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked in interest.

"Aye. Nary a pirate would come close to this place on account of the name, let alone for trade or restocking. This place is a veritable community now."

"That was the idea," Elizabeth said with a smile.

Teague looked to Rose. "Wish Jack could see it. He wouldn't even _recognize_ the place."

Rose leaned forward, hands folded on the table. "Where _is_ Jack?" she asked. "Have you seen him recently?"

Teague sighed, leaning back in his chair and placing his napkin on his plate. "Well, that actually brings me to why I'm here." He looked up at her, asking darkly, "What do you know of the Fountain of Youth?"

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. "Of course. Of course _that's_ what he's chasing."

"Does it really exist?" Elizabeth asked, enthralled.

"Aye," Rose said, struggling to remember the details. "Tia Dalma…Calypso would taught me a bit about it long ago. It's on the Florida coast, hidden away. It's a bay…White-something…"

"White Cap Bay," Teague finished.

"That's it!" exclaimed Rose. "The Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon, supposedly charted it centuries ago."

"Aye, but he was never seen again after that," Teague added. "Rumor has it, he and his ship are still there."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Seems to me like you know quite a deal about the Fountain," she said. "What _don't_ you already know?"

"Just about everything else, I'm afraid," he admitted. "I figured what with all your time spent with Calypso, she would have told you something more than what I've been able to pick up."

Rose continued thinking, until finally it came to her. "Yes…I believe she said that there were…two chalices. And with water from the Fountain and…oh it was something strange and mythical…"

"Could it have to do with mermaids?" Teague asked. "White Cap Bay is known for its mermaid-infested waters."

"Mermaids?" a previously preoccupied Henry cried out excitedly. "I want to see mermaids!"

Teague laughed, drawing closer to him. "No, I'm 'fraid you don't, lad. These mermaids aren't pretty like in pictures. They've got sharp teeth that'll snatch you right up," he growled, lunging towards him playfully. Henry was unafraid at this, and only giggled as he retreated back into his chair.

"I do believe it _was_ mermaids," Rose said. "I think it's a tear from a mermaid. One cup gets the tear, one doesn't. One of them takes the remaining years off of one and gives it to the other. Which one, however, I'm not certain."

"But wait," asked Elizabeth. "How will Jack find the Fountain, if it is so hidden away?"

"Word around the Caribbean says that he's been asking around about it with a 'spinning map,'" Teague answered, giving the women a pointed glance. Instantly, they both knew exactly what that meant—Jack had the chart of Sao Feng that Will had stolen on their reconnaissance mission in Singapore before heading to retrieve Jack from Davy Jones's Locker. "Word also has it," Teague said, looking specifically at Rose, "He's alone. And without a ship."

Rose's heart felt like it had fallen into her stomach. "He's without the _Pearl?"_

Teague shrugged. "Barbossa must've mutinied against him again."

"No!" Rose said. "I'm almost certain he doesn't have the ship either! He came here a few years back looking unsightly. His leg was gone, and he seemed to be on his own. Do you think Jack…did that to him and made off with the _Pearl_ as some sort of revenge, perhaps? Before losing it himself?"

"Jack's not that sadistic, I don't care who the person is or what ill they did him," Teague said. "And no, all my evidence suggests Jack was left behind first."

"So…no one has the _Pearl?_ " Elizabeth suggested.

Teague shook his head. "Oh I assure you, someone has the _Pearl_. The question is who and why."

"And where," Rose added. "For wherever she is, I'm sure Jack is close behind in pursuit."

"It all comes down to what Jack wants more—the _Pearl_ or the Fountain," said Teague.

"Come now, you know he wants both simultaneously. That makes our job infinitely harder." Rose suddenly remembered, "Barbossa might be a source! He might know where Jack is. I know its been years, but when he was here, I saw him chart a route to the island of St. Martin, then up towards England."

Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, pondering this. "I'm curious as to what he expects to find there…"

"Closer to home, perhaps?" Teague said. "Or perhaps he's gone to join the Navy."

The three of them laughed aloud at that impossible notion, then Rose said, "So, do you reckon Jack will find out all of the requirements for the Fountain to work for his benefit entirely on his own?"

"Unlikely," Teague snorted. "That's why I came to you. Jack would be insistent upon finding out the information, but I'm going to do my damnedest to get involved before he voyages out there alone."

"I want to voyage with Captain Jack Sparrow!" Henry piped up. Turning to Elizabeth, he asked, "Can I go, Mother? That way Jack won't _be_ alone! It'll be an adventure."

"No, no, no," Elizabeth said firmly. "You're not adventuring _anywhere_ with Captain Jack Sparrow _ever,_ not if I have any say in it." Suddenly, she realized who she was keeping company with, and turned apologetically to Jack's sister and father, saying, "No offense."

Both sister and father, however, completely understood, saying at the same time, "None taken," and "By all means, I agree."

"But Mother!" Henry began to whine.

"Do you know what? I believe it's just about time for bed anyway," Elizabeth said, rising to take Henry away.

"No, I'm not sleepy!" he protested.

"Now, now, none of that! Off to bed with you!"

Henry was willing to concede on one condition. "Sing me the locket song, Mother!" he implored.

"Come now, Henry. Let's not bother Rose," said Elizabeth.

"Please?" he implored.

"How about I sing you some other song?" she tried.

But the little boy was insistent. "No, the locket song!"

Elizabeth gave an exasperated sigh and looked to Rose as if to say, _What am I to do with this one?_

Rose laughed, standing and leading the way downstairs to where her silver crab locket was sitting on her bedside table. "Honestly, it's fine. I'm quite fond of the song myself, actually."

"Don't _you_ start too," Elizabeth warned.

Henry bounced with joy to the bedroom, tugging at his mother's arm, and Rose returned, handing the locket over to a grateful Elizabeth, then followed along at a distance behind them. She waited in the hallway as she heard Elizabeth settle her son into the bed, unfasten the locket, then heard the ever-familiar, haunting melody of Calypso's locket begin to play. Elizabeth waited for the song to reset back to its original loop, then began to sing lyrics she had devised back when Henry was a baby.

 _Cruel and cold like winds on the sea,  
_ _Till the day he returns to me,  
_ _Ten long years we'll wait to go by,  
_ _Our love will never die  
_ _…love will never die…_

She then let the song play out to completion before clicking it shut once she was certain Henry was asleep, then silently left the room. Elizabeth handed it back to Rose, mouthing, "Thank you," and then they both went back upstairs, where Teague was fastening his effects once more to himself.

"What's this?" Rose asked, seeing him prepare to depart. "Leaving so soon?"

"You said it yourself, Rosie," he replied. "If anyone will know about the _Pearl_ or Jack, it'll be Barbossa. I'm off to England to see what I can find."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Rose saw Elizabeth staring intently at her, but she dared not return the glance, which most definitely was suggesting, _Go with him!_

Rose only smiled at her father, saying simply, "Safe travels. Find my brother."

Teague grinned, squeezing her shoulder with one hand. That was about as affectionate as father and daughter were comfortable with, their relationship remaining still rather undefined and strained. "I will do my best for you, Rosie," he said.

He moved to descend the stairs, but Elizabeth caught his arm before leaving. "As ever, Captain, thank you for your company."

"You as well, Majesty," he replied, making Elizabeth smile widely.

Elizabeth waited until he was completely gone before speaking her thoughts aloud. "Fool," she said good-naturedly to Rose. "Why wouldn't you voyage with him? Go find and warn Jack together?"

Rose gave her a sidelong glance. "We've been through this, Elizabeth," she said. "I'm not leaving."

She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Suit yourself, but you're making a mistake, I'm certain of it."

Rose did long for more, but she was torn by her sense of duty to retrospect, however, it was a blessing that Rose _did_ stay, given what was about to happen and who was about to come knocking on Rose's door. If she hadn't stayed, disaster would have struck the Turner family. Rose's presence meant that the worst was prevented, although it also would lead to her ultimate doom.


	72. Chapter 5 - The Nightmare

Weeks passed, and one terrible night, Rose had another of her legendary nightmares. Henry was in grave danger. He was standing on a burning ship, crying for help. She didn't know where she was in relation to him, but she couldn't do anything but watch in silent horror. Flames began to swallow the sails. She heard an ominous creak, and her heart stopped as she watched a beam quiver and crack, falling straight down. She felt an intense pressure on her throat as she lost sight of Henry behind the flaming beam. Once it made contact with the burning deck, she awakened.

But the pressure on her throat didn't subside. _That_ was real. She was still surrounded by darkness, as it was dark in her room. But her arms flailed wildly as she felt the incredible pressure on her throat tighten. Someone was in her room, and he was prepared to kill her.

He was leaning over her, standing on the right side of her bed, whoever he was. Her left arm grabbed one of his wrists, while the right flew instinctively to the floor beneath her bed, where she had a knife stationed. She was most vulnerable in her bed at night, where she was utterly blind to the world, and she had lived amongst pirates long enough to know never to trust them. That was why she had some form of weapon nearby for any situation.

The knife fell just beyond her reach. It was futile. His grip tightened. Her right arm gave up on the knife and flew up to his wrist to try and loosen his grip. The pressure only grew tighter. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her mouth gasped for air she was blocked from attaining.

Suddenly, the pressure ceased. Someone else was pulling on his shoulders. "Stop it! This is not civil!" It was a young man.

The brute who had her neck in his grasp reluctantly let her go. Rose felt her chest explode in size as her lungs searched for air. She started coughing and gagging, hands reaching for her bruised throat, almost as if she no longer believed it was still there.

Her coughing subsided enough to hear the next voice. The voice she didn't even know was in the room with her. A voice she had never again thought she would hear, and _hoped_ she would never hear again.

"He's right. I told you to take her into the other room!" barked Angelica.

Rose felt as though she had been punched in the stomach, on top of already having been nearly strangled. "Angelica?" she tried to say, but collapsed into another coughing fit as she struggled to sit up.

"Your henchman would have killed her had I not turned the corner!" the young man said.

She heard the click of Angelica's pistol, and he stopped talking. "Don't make me take his side." Rose's assailant was still silent. She heard a clomping of feet, and she assumed yet another man was in her room.

"Both of you," Angelica ordered. "Take her to the downstairs room!"

Rose was instantly lifted off the ground from both of her arms by the two silent men. Her feet barely touched the ground as they flew from her room to her storeroom. Her harsh breathing persisted, but the pain was gone. Her eyesight was slowly restored as she saw that they had lit the candles in the room.

The two men threw her to the ground. Instinctively, she screamed. It was her only chance to alert Elizabeth that she was in danger, although the fortress was so large that she doubted that would work. She felt a sharp pain at the top of her head upon screaming, as Angelica instantly grabbed her hair and pressed the barrel of her gun to her throat.

"Try that again and it'll be the last thing you'll ever do!"

Rose looked up at her after she released her, gun still aimed at her head. Angelica was undoubtedly older, yet looked far healthier whence last Rose had last seen her. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction at having taken Rose by surprise. Rose slowly examined the room. It was in complete disarray and looked completely ransacked. Many of her shelves had been turned over, chairs were upside down, items were scattered and broken, and papers were strewn all across the floor. Rose had been so engrossed in the nightmare, that even the chaos downstairs wasn't enough to wake her.

Now to her assailants; Angelica stood directly in front of her, bandana tying back her dark hair. She had outgrown dresses, having traded in her skirts for trousers and an ornamented red coat, pushed to the side by her sheathed sword. Next to her was the young man who had initially saved her life. He had fair hair and handsome features. He was quite young, and his eyes were full of sympathy. Next were the two brutes who had picked her up and delivered her here. One was adjacent to her left, while the other stood at the door. These men sent shivers down her spine. Their eyes were hollow and distant. They were shirtless and muscular, bodies warped and swollen, their skin cut and sewn together.

These men were undead.

It was Calypso who had taught Angelica about zombies, but Rose didn't expect that she had the wherewithal to actually make them into a reality.

Despite her horror at the mere existence of these things, men who weren't even allowed to rest in peace, the last man in the room was undoubtedly the worst. The long, dark beard and dense, cold shark eyes seemed to bore into her skull told her instantly who it was.

It was Blackbeard, Angelica's father.

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. _Of course they were here._ She directed her words at Angelica. "I see you found your father."

She smiled wryly and held her hand up. Clutched in her fist was Calypso's locket. "I see you found yours."

Rose tried to calm the rage roaring within her, and merely looked at her. "He's not here, you know. Jack? I have no idea where he is."

"We aren't here for your moronic brother, Madam Hexfury," Blackbeard said from his corner of the room. Perhaps the most frightening thing about him was the placidity in which he delivered his words. Throughout their entire encounter, he never lost this austere demeanor. No anger, no wrath, no joy...just...nothing. He continued. "We're here for some information you have. Information we need."

Rose's stomach dropped. Were they hear to threaten Will's heart? What had this crew discovered, and how did they find her? Rose had to act like she knew nothing. "Angelica had just as much training as I did from Tia Dalma—"

But she didn't get a chance to finish her thought, when his piercing words sliced over hers. "Angelica!"

Angelica lowered her gaze on Rose and obediently chirped, "Yes, father." Rose had never seen this side of Angelica. She was...frightened. For the first time in her life, Rose witnessed Angelica's fear of another person.

"I thought you said that we would have no part in heathen prophets like the soothsayer you were so cursed to live with!"

Ah. So Blackbeard was devoutly religious. Thus, Angelica's time in a convent was well explained.

"Father," Angelica's voice was nearly pleading. "The stories of the heathens provide clues as to where we can harness great power."

"I state again," Rose bravely repeated, "Angelica has just as much knowledge as I do."

Angelica tossed the locket at her feet. " _Apparently not."_

Rose swallowed. She had no choice but to comply. "What do you want to know?" she asked ruefully.

"We want information about a certain mystical item that gains eternal life."

Rose winced. Desperate, she pleaded, "Listen to me. I know not what the people of the town have told you, but I know nothing about the chest."

Angelica and Blackbeard exchanged a mutually surprised glance which made Rose's heart stop. _They weren't here about the chest._ Rose had just given that information away accidentally.

"We don't seek a chest, but if it too offers eternal life, I'll gladly take that information from you as well," Blackbeard said. "We search for something else entirely, however."

Angelica knelt next to her, gun still aimed at her head. She murmured threateningly, "L'Aqua de Vida. _The Fountain of Youth."_

Rose's eyes went wide. Angelica knew how much Rose knew about the Fountain of Youth because of what Tia had taught her. How was it that Angelica, Jack, and Teague all sought the same item?

"Once again I say," Rose spat, "Angelica knows just as much as I do about the Fountain."

Angelica smirked. "Tia Dalma told me some, but I suspect there is more to know. And since we visited her shack first and found it to be abandoned, we asked around and found the apple of her eye instead: you! Tell us what you know."

Rose swallowed. "It's in a secret location. A secret cave. But one cannot simply drink the waters once they enter, for it will not work. There are a few ingredients you need." She paused, anticipating someone to ask her what they were, but they all were fixated on her words, so she continued. "First are the chalices, last known to be found by Ponce De Leon. Find the chalices, and drink the water."

"Is that all?" Angelica asked.

Rose considered, then remembered. The mermaid tear. She decided was going to be conservative in what she told them about this detail, as it was the most important.

"No. That's it," Rose lied. Suddenly, to her horror, Henry materialized, probably hearing the commotion and racing downstairs to investigate. He looked in alarm at the large strangers looming over Rose. When he saw Rose kneeling captive on the ground, he fearlessly rushed to one of the zombies, hitting him in the leg as ferociously as his little fists could muster. "Let her go!" he cried.

"HENRY, NO!" Rose cried out, but it was no use. The boy was already in too much danger. The zombies merely exchanged an amused glance, then the one who was being "attacked" by him simply leaned down and gripped his upper arm, causing him to struggle.

Blackbeard domineeringly stalked over to Henry, peering down at him.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"Who are _you_?" Blackbeard retorted in an oddly charming yet very malicious way.

Henry was on the verge of tears. "Why are you hurting us?" he whimpered.

Blackbeard raised his eyebrows. "Why indeed. Quartermaster, release the boy." The zombie obeyed, but Henry was then rendered motionless by Blackbeard himself, who stood behind him with hands on his shoulders, preventing him from fleeing anywhere. "Henry, was it?" he said in a sickeningly sweet way. Looking back to Rose, he then spat, "Your story and that of the mystic's does not quite add up." Rose's heart raced, as she feared the worst for the little child. "Tell us the final ingredient, Madam Hexfury," he said.

"A mermaid's tear," she grumbled.

"Mermaids? Those exist?" said the young man who seemed reluctant if not wholeheartedly against Blackbeard and Angelica.

"Quiet, fool! Of course they exist!" Blackbeard barked at him. The man fell silent once more.

"The mermaid's tear in one of the chalices will give life, while the other will drain the remaining years from the other," Rose complied.

"Pray tell where we will find the Fountain," Blackbeard asked. "And the chalices...and the mermaids. Tis only fair." Rose watched at he ran his blackened fingers through Henry's hair menacingly, and she knew she had no choice but to cooperate for his sake. She looked at Henry once more, who looked bewildered and frightened. Rose had to keep him safe...

"A map," she reported, yet even then she told a lie. "Its locations are very discreet. Not even I know where they are."

Blackbeard cocked his head to the side and for a moment he was pensive. Then he shot a dark glance at the zombie nearest him. "Is she telling the truth?" he asked him.

The zombie simply responded, "She lies."

Rose's heart sank. The one fatal flaw in her plan; Rose had forgotten the fact that zombies are foreseers of what's to come and what lies beneath. Blackbeard's eyes glinted murderously, as he calmly responded to the zombie, " _Kill her."_

The creature pulled his gun on her and loaded the barrel.

Believe it or not, Rose was entirely calm and expectant during this event. She had often thought that her downfall would be at the hand of Angelica. It was the others who made a commotion.

"No! Please stop!" Henry began to wail, tears running down his poor face. Then the young man started yelling. "Please! Captain, this is not the way!" He grasped Angelica's arm. "Stop this! It isn't right! Not in front of the boy!" Angelica just stood there, staring at at him helplessly.

"Quiet, missionary!" Blackbeard snapped.

"If you are set on killing her, don't do it in front of the boy!" the missionary protested again.

"It's time the lad learns the cruelties of life!" Blackbeard stated. "I was killing men twice your size when I was only a few years his senior!"

The missionary pulled himself right up to Blackbeard, peering unafraid into his nearly jet black eyes. "And maybe that's the difference between darkness and light. What did this boy ever do to deserve this? Or his mother for that matter?"

Blackbeard pulled his sword on the man, causing him to back up into Rose's table. "I'm warning you, missionary. The only reason you're here is because my darling daughter has hopes of my soul's redemption. Be warned! If you persist, you'll be tied to the crow's next and left for dead in the baking sun and hungry birds, and then I'll have _you_ kill her _and_ the boy yourself!"

The missionary looked horrified, but said nothing, glancing frantically between Rose and Henry, two strangers yet two people he carried compassion for. Blackbeard turned back towards the zombie and gave a quick nod. Rose heard the click of the barrel and then...

"Stop!" Angelica cried. Rose opened her eyes. All of the people in the room turned their attention to Angelica, who had not moved. Could this have been some residual sympathy for the days of our childhood the girls had spent together? She looked at Blackbeard and said, "She still has information on the map. She is of more use to us alive than dead, Father."

Blackbeard looked impressed. "Indeed," he growled. "From what you say, she has endured much pain. Killing her would be a gift." He looked at a trembling Henry. "Threatening someone she loved would hurt her more."

Rose felt a pit in her stomach. Even though Henry was not her son, as the others had mistaken him to be, Rose helped bring Henry into this world. Her entire life was restricted to Shipwreck because of his existence and her loyalty to his parents. Henry was her life. "No," she cried. "I'm begging you, leave him out of this!"

The zombie's pistol was turned on Henry, who looked at Rose with grave panic. The missionary was again pleading with them. "This is not the way of light! He is an innocent child!"

Even Angelica tried to speak up. "Father, I must—"

"Quiet!" he barked, silencing her.

Rose loved Jack. But ultimately, he was a capable adult who had overcome death itself. Henry was an inexperienced boy, defenseless. Rose had no choice. "Jack! Jack has the map!"

Blackbeard looked to the zombie with the loaded pistol for corroboration. He nodded, and slowly released his hold on his weapon. He laughed darkly. "Ah of course. Sparrow has the map." He pulled a dagger from his belt and handed it to Angelica, who had a foreign bundle in her own hands. She began to approach Rose expressionless as Blackbeard growled, "Then there is only one thing to do, _mademoiselle._ "

Then she saw it. The voodoo doll. It was decorated to look like Jack. So this was the plan after all. To take Rose for all she had, then on top of all that, use the blood she shared with Jack to control and manipulate him as she saw fit. The zombie grabbed Rose's shoulders as she tried to wriggle away from her ever-nearing dagger.

Then the incision. Angelica stuck the tip of her dagger in Rose's right cheek and twisted the blade, making a small cut in the shape of an X. She then pulled out the blade and made a similar incision on the doll's face. As soon as her blood made contact with the doll's exterior, Rose fell to the ground, mouth wide with silent screams of pain she could not utter. She felt as though her top layer of skin had been removed, pricked with infinitesimal needles, then replaced and pulled in every direction. The pain intensified, then was gone as her body melded to the doll's.

Rose had collapsed on the floor, gasping for air and devoid of all energy.

Blackbeard nodded, motioning to the zombies, who filed out the door. "Thanks for the help, Madam Hexfury. I'll be sure to tell your brother you said hello." He then turned to the missionary, saying,"If you dare try anything else or question my judgement, you will have to find your own 'way of light,' understood? I promise you I will feed you to the crows."

Just before he departed he gave one last look at Rose writhing in pain on the ground. He chuckled, "Oh, and don't think for a moment I won't be back to inquire about this 'chest' of which you speak, sea witch." He then marched away. The missionary looked sympathetically at Rose, then reluctantly followed.

She was still gasping for air, trying to stand, trying to move, _anything_ , but the pain was too much for her to bear. She was able to twist her head around so that she saw Angelica staring with a forlorn expression, then start toward the door.

"You will…fail," Rose gasped. "You will fail…because you have far less power…than…than you think you do."

She hoped those words struck fear into her heart, for she wordlessly left afterward. Rose curled up in a ball as the cold of the night-laden swamp enveloped her. She couldn't pursue them, or even comfort poor, frightened Henry, she was so weak.

He crawled to her, whispering through staggered breaths. "R—Rose? Get up. Rose?" She couldn't even move her neck now, so she just instructed him as best she could, "Go…find your…mother. Go, Henry!"

The brave lad wiped his face with his sleeve and instantly obeyed, running back into the belly of the fortress where Elizabeth was asleep on the other side of where they were. She now only could wait for Henry to bring help, but she felt completely frozen as she shivered alone on the ground. Time seemed to drag on forever as she prayed Elizabeth would come soon.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth around her. She reached around her shoulders and felt a warm coat.

"I am sorry for you and your son," Angelica whispered. "I…I did not wish it to be this way. I am sorry."

Then she was gone.


	73. Chapter 6 - Her Last Days

The days that followed Angelica and Blackbeard's ambush were long and fruitless. Rose felt completely devoid of energy as a result of being bound to the voodoo doll. The world seemed to match her cheerless disposition as the days wore on with tempest-like rain.

Rose once again opened her doors to passersby, but there was nary a customer due to the weather. Elizabeth helped Rose clean up the storeroom and restore it to how it once was, but there was a general air of unsettledness; Blackbeard had invaded their safe haven, had threatened Henry, now was after Jack, attacked Rose, and was intent on returning to threaten Will's heart as well. Perhaps the worst part about all of this was that both of these women, who had always been keen to go out and solve their own problems for themselves, were utterly helpless to stop him. They knew not where his ship had gone, nor where he was going. Rose felt too poor to leave, and Elizabeth _couldn't_ leave, not with her family in such danger now.

A week or more had passed. Rare was it that the rain let up, but when it did, never more than a hour, some customer would surface, usually a local seeking additional care for a previous condition. Rose helped them graciously, but still did not feel right. Her body was still sore and ached every time she moved.

One day a violent pang hit her directly in the forehead. She screamed in pain and collapsed on the ground, clutching her head with her hands. Elizabeth rushed to her side. "Rose?"

It felt as though someone had set her head on fire. She could hardly believe that she still had hair, but she was completely unscathed on the surface. Then, as quickly as it began, it subsided. Rose looked up at Elizabeth, breathless, mouth agape.

"What is it?" she asked, helping her stand.

Rose stared at her in terror. "That was the doll. Blackbeard is using it."

"You can feel it?"

"It's my blood," Rose gagged. "Oh my lord..."

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, helping her back into her chair.

Rose was incoherent. "That was...after she left...oh no..."

"What, Rose?"

She swallowed, realizing exactly what the problem was. Angelica had walked out in fury midway through the lecture Tia taught the girls about the black magic of voodoo when they were younger. In order for the doll to be potent, it needed to resemble the person in question, and contain an item directly related to the victim. Blood was the strongest. If blood was pressed into the cloth in the place where the blood was drawn from, the doll could be used at any range. However, and this was where Angelica left, if blood was used, blood from the same wound had to continuously replenish the doll in order for it to retain its power.

Angelica had made the doll to resemble Jack, and wanted limitless power over him. As he constantly relocated from place to place, she had no way of knowing where he was. Rose was far easier to locate. She made the cut into Rose's cheek, and in turn made the wound on the doll. Jack now had had a scar identical to Rose's on his cheek, a small X, and both he and Rose were controlled by any injury Angelica inflicted on the doll.

What Angelica didn't know was that the blood in the doll needed to be replenished, and it could only be done with Rose's blood alone. She also didn't know that when a doll with blood loses potency, its source is directly affected, and if it cannot be replenished, the source becomes drained entirely.

This only meant one thing.

"Elizabeth," Rose said, voice quivering, "I'm dying."

* * *

Jack was in much graver danger than they had initially anticipated. Rose knew this because she felt everything Angelica or Blackbeard did with the doll. Elizabeth stayed in the tavern, helping the patrons as best as she could, while Rose laid still on her bed, afraid to move, afraid to walk, afraid to do anything. Seldom times she would attempt to go on living normally, but each time she did, the pain grew worse and worse. Every bone felt brittle, every movement as though she were trying to run against the tide.

Elizabeth had given Rose some remedies she had taught her, and Rose took them just to please her, knowing full well they were useless. Rose was going to die, and she was going to die at the hands of Angelica and Blackbeard.

There were bad days when Rose was bedridden because the attacks continued. These were sporadic and unexpected, and they were awful. It was commonly restricted to once a day, but she never knew when to expect them. Once she felt as though her leg had been pierced by a rusted blade, and another time that her chest was being crushed. The good news was that it wasn't Jack's blood directly. He and Rose only had half of their blood shared via Teague. So everything she felt was minimized by half for him.

The last day she felt anything, it began with weightlessness. The doll must have been thrown, for it felt as though the room had been pulled from underneath her like a rug. Rose started screaming. Elizabeth dropped what she was doing and ran into the room.

Rose's body jerked when the doll made impact with something hard and thrashing. Water. Her screaming ceased and she sat up.

"What happened?" Elizabeth cried.

Rose's eyes started to fill with tears. "They lost the doll. It fell into the ocean." She looked up at her, letting them fall. "It fell into the ocean," she repeated.

This meant only one thing. The doll was lost. Rose cried tears of relief for the fact that Jack would be safe. But she cried for fear as well. There was absolutely no hope in Angelica returning for Rose's blood to recover its power, thus elongating her suffering.

Elizabeth sat beside her on the bed as Rose whispered, "I have nearly perished so many times. Some out of my control, some almost by my own hand. But I suppose I never really believed I would die. Because I have never been this scared."

She hugged her when the tears began to fall harder. There was nothing to do. Nothing to say. They had won, and there was _nothing_ to be done...but live out those final, painful days.

Some time had passed, and Rose could tell the doll was still at sea, for she felt constantly dizzy and cold. So cold. She began to feel as Elizabeth had said she felt after Will's death; knowing her situation had made her numb to it. Elizabeth had taken Henry to stay with the Davis family for awhile so that Elizabeth could attend fully to her friend. Rose, who was slowly losing the ability to walk, was forced to move permanently to one of the cots in the storeroom, and Elizabeth took her nearby hammock to keep an eye on her. One night, Elizabeth briefly stirred from sleep to see Rose staring off into the distance.

She stretched. "Everything alright?"

"Yes," said Rose simply.

It was unlike Rose to be this curt, and Elizabeth knew it. "Rose?" she asked. "What's wrong? Are you feeling alright?"

Rose gave a half smile. "I don't know what 'alright' feels like anymore. I can't sleep, can't eat...it feels like I am constantly in motion."

"Of course you would," said Elizabeth. "That doll is still floating out there somewhere."

They sat quietly for a moment, until Rose quietly said, "I've been thinking...about the Cove." She looked up at Elizabeth. "I need to start making plans for the future. About what will happen after all of this."

"Don't think about that," Elizabeth interrupted, deflecting the subject.

"No, I must," Rose demanded. "There will be nothing here tying you to this place anymore, what with you having to care for Henry on your own... so I cannot ask you to stay—"

"Out of the question," Elizabeth said. "Will's heart is here. This is where Will knows to find me if he ever is in danger. If he returns and I'm not here, well, we might run into the same scenario that occurred with Calypso and Jones. He'll think I've left. Plus his heart will be left unprotected."

"But Blackbeard said he would return," Rose said, her eyes filling with tears. "You both need to flee. At least for a few years. You can return once Will comes back for his day ashore in a few years—"

"But what if something goes awry?" Elizabeth protested. She shook her head, "No, I can't risk it. It would kill Will to not have me and Henry here when he returns, and it would be even worse to have the curse start to transform his crew back into creatures of the sea." She laid a hand over one of Rose's. "I am the Pirate King, Rose. I can rally the town to fight off any danger. We've done it before, we can do it again!"

Rose was unconvinced and still conflicted, but she knew it was no use fighting against Elizabeth's will. Soon, their conversation drifted, and Elizabeth fell back asleep. As Rose grew evermore tired, she gently opened up Calypso's locket once more. Its tune sounded suddenly sounded lonesome and haunting in the room, and Rose felt her eyes grow heavier...and heavier...slowly swaying to the rhythm of the tides...

* * *

A week later, Rose became too weak to stand. She drifted in and out of sleep for the next few days, none of them very memorable, but one time she clearly recalled wakening to Elizabeth sitting at her side, tears in her eyes.

"Eliz...liz..." Rose tried to say, but it was as though her lips were sewn shut.

She hushed her gently, and placed her hand tenderly on her forehead. She took a shallow breath as she said, "Don't try to speak."

Rose knew that her time on Earth was coming to an end. There were so many things Rose _wanted_ to say. _Needed_ to say. She was fading fast...there wasn't much time.

"Henry!" Elizabeth called gently, looking over her shoulder. Elizabeth had brought him back to the fortress, and Rose struggled to crane her neck to see him.

He appeared in view, eyes large and worried. "Rose?" he asked uncertainly.

It took every ounce of her effort and concentration, but she slowly slid her hand towards him and opened her palm. Henry took her hand and grasped it tightly. She wanted to say a proper farewell to the lad, but she couldn't form the words, as hard as she tried.

"Henry," Elizabeth murmured to her son, wiping away tears as they fell from her eyes. "Rose is very sick. She hasn't got much time left with us, so I've brought you here to say goodbye."

"No!" he protested, throwing his arms around Rose's torso. "Don't leave, Rose. You can't go away!"

Elizabeth gently lifted him off of her, and turned his quivering chin towards her. "It's alright, my sweet. She won't suffer anymore. And do you know who's going to make sure that she makes it to the other side?"

"Who?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Your father! He's going to ensure that she's safe and comfortable."

Henry nodded, though he was still crying. He looked to Rose once more and said, wiping his tears away with his sleeve, "Goodbye, Rose. My father will take good care of you, I promise."

Rose felt her heart break at this, and though she struggled, she managed to utter the word, "Brave."

Elizabeth then lifted Henry up in her arms and carried him off upstairs. Some time passed, and when Elizabeth returned Henry was no longer with them. She must have put him down to sleep before returning. She sat once again by her side. Now alone, Elizabeth's tears began to fall anew. "Oh Rose," she whispered. "I can't...I can't lose you too. This is all so terribly unfair."

It wasn't but a little over a dozen years ago that Rose hated everything about this woman. To her, in every way she was dangerous. For Will, she proved a burden. For Jack, she meant betrayal and death. And for James, she meant heartbreak and manipulation. It wasn't until Rose actually took the time to get to know her that she discovered that every choice she made was either made without any option otherwise, or with the heaviest of hearts. They were both alone. They were family to one another amongst themselves. They had to keep each other alive. And together, they did exactly that.

Rose was barely coherent, but she knew she had to give her limited diction one last try to make sure her final requests were carried out.

"Jack," she managed to whisper. "Teague… Tell."

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course I'll tell them what happened."

It pained Rose that her brother and father would one day return to the Cove to find Rose forever gone. What a horrible way to find out. But she knew it would at least be easier with Elizabeth carrying the news.  
Rose finally formed the last two words she would utter: "Stay. King."

Elizabeth began to sob at this. "Yes, yes of course I will."

A smile would have to suffice for a response. Rose had no more energy for that moment. Elizabeth's face grew darker and darker...until it was consumed entirely in night.

That was her last memory.


	74. Chapter 7 - What Rose Wasn't There For

Elizabeth struggled to keep calm as tried to carry of several duties at once. She secured the sail of Rose's dinghy and was trying to man the rudder that would take them out towards the open sea. She glanced down at the cot she had loaded on deck, which held a comatose but still breathing Rose. She and several pirates had loaded her onboard, though the men gave a quizzical look. Why on earth would a dying woman need to be rowed out into the ocean?

Once Elizabeth had decided they had gone out far enough, she furled up the sail and weighed anchor. She took a deep breath, hand quivering, and unlocked the chest she had taken aboard. Reaching hesitantly inside, she lifted Will's heart out from the inside and gave it a good squeeze. This had worked before to call Will there, it _had_ to work again.

She waited. And waited. Nothing was happening. The only disturbance was the wind blowing in dark, billowy clouds from the south. Suddenly, Rose began to convulse.

"Not again!" Elizabeth cried as she closed the chest and rushed to her side, holding her shoulders down. Rose eyes rolled back in her head and her body grew stiff. Her head went limp, but the remainder of her muscles below the neck were tense and tight.

Elizabeth whispered. "Come on, Will!" she shouted.

Suddenly, everything was still. The wind ceased and the boat stopped moving. A sudden chill entered the atmosphere as the offshore waves gently lapped the boat. Even the gulls were silent.

Then, out of the silence, the _Dutchman_ emerged in all its shadowy glory. It was only a few leagues away from the small dinghy where they were anchored, sending waves careening toward them in ripples and dripping water showering overhead. The ship circled the boat, then laid anchor a few meters away. A few sailors onboard lowered a rope ladder for the boat.

"Ahoy!" Elizabeth cried out to them.

"Ahoy!" several voices responded.

"Elizabeth!" Will's voice cut through the air, shrill with panic. "What's happened?"

"I'm coming up," Elizabeth replied, though her eyes couldn't locate her husband from below. "We need to pull someone onboard! Send a plank and ropes!"

Like clockwork, two men transformed onto her boat, and two lines were cast down. Elizabeth saw to it that Rose could be hoisted securely, then rushed up the ladder. Will was waiting there, and she fell into his embrace as soon as she ascended.

He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Is it Henry?" he asked fearfully.

"No," Elizabeth reassured him. "Rose."

Bootstrap was standing at Will's side. "Rose Hexfury? Dear god! She's dying?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know _what's_ happening," she cried. "It's black magic that's claiming her." She looked imploringly at Will. "But she won't die! She'll lay there and her breathing will go still, as though she's passed on. But then she'll suddenly convulse and gasp so loudly that I am certain she is going to choke, and then she's alive once more… It's as though something is keeping her from dying." She looked around at her husband's ship. "And so I didn't know what else to do but bring her here."

Just then, the men lifted Rose's body over the railing and down to the ground. "Make way," Will cried to his men, who were closing in around her in curiosity.

Will, Elizabeth and Bootstrap knelt close by her. "Mm," Will said, examining her. "Must be black magic. That's the only thing strong enough to kill this woman." He looked to Elizabeth. "So, you want her to join my crew."

"I don't care what you do, as long as you end her suffering."

Will frowned sullenly. "I'm not sure what I _can_ do. She has to consent to servitude. And she is not lucid enough to make this choice. Beyond that, I'm afraid that there's not much else to be done."

"But I don't know what else _to_ do," she said. "She's clearly suffering and I don't know how to stop it short of killing her myself. And what's more inhumane? Killing her or letting her suffer?"

Unrest in the crew interrupted their discussion. One man noticed as Rose once again began to convulse. One man, who kept back from the rest, but was fixated upon her. A vision from the past at seeing Will, Elizabeth, and Rose together in a single setting. He didn't want to approach, but merely looked on from afar, afraid that making his presence known would create nothing but anger from the two lucid visions. And as Rose began to choke on her own bile, he quickly withdrew, unable to withstand yet more pain caused by his being there. He quickly cried out, "Look to the girl!" and vanished into the shadows.

This drew attention to her, and ripples of concern flooded the deck.

"Give them space!" Bootstrap yelled. Elizabeth and Will leaned over Rose, Elizabeth holding her shoulders down and Will, placing a hand over her forehead. Her eyes flew open. Her unrest impacted the sea and skies as well, as the began to reel along with her other bodily functions. The skies were somehow profoundly darker and the waves were restless. The world seemed to turn entirely gray.

"Rose? Rose!" Elizabeth cried. But she was unresponsive. She looked back up at Will, but his face clearly showed that he was at a loss of what to do.

Rose then gasped for breath. She began to seize once more, her body failing uncontrollably on the deck.

Will took the newly presented opportunity that Rose was not dead to hold her down by the shoulders and firmly speak directly to her. "Rose? Rose, can you hear me? It's Will. Can you hear me?"

Rose's eyes quickly caught a glance of her old friend as her body continued to convulse with the black magic. The foam in her mouth choked her, and she was only able to gurgle out a slight "Yes."

"I can end your suffering, Rose. Will you serve aboard my ship?"

"Ye—" she choked again.

Will looked at Elizabeth. "That's all I need. She's sworn now. Immortal."

However, her body still continued to writhe.

"I don't understand," Will said pensively. "This never happens..."

Elizabeth laid a hand aside of her face, overcome by emotions. "I don't know what else to do. God if only Tia Dalma were here. I know she could have fixed this."

Just as she said this, an idea occurred to both of them at the same time. _Calypso!_

 _"_ The Locker!" Will cried out. "We'll take her there," he said, standing. "If there's anyone who can help, it is Calypso herself! Take Rose to my cabin and wait there," he said to Elizabeth. He turned to his crew. "ALL HANDS! Prepare to descend!"

Elizabeth and another crewman lifted Rose up and rushed her to the Captain's quarters. They set her down and the man turned to close and lock the door behind them.

"Wait!" Elizabeth cried. "Is it safe for us to be here? Since Rose and I are living, I mean. Under the waves, we'll drown!"

The man shook his head with a grin, "The Cap'n had us waterproof the livin' spaces. We tar the gaps regularly, nows that we ain't fish people no more. You's are fine!" It was only a matter of seconds later before the ship quivered and Elizabeth felt it begin to descend into the Locker, a trip she'd never thought she'd make again. She braced herself to keep her balance as the ship's wood creaked against the pressure of the ocean surrounding the ship. Then, everything went still.

Elizabeth looked to the crewman. "Have we—"

"Nay," he replied, holding a hand out to motion for her to wait.

All was silent for a moment, and all Elizabeth could hear was Rose's staggered breathing and the wild pounding of her own pulse in her ears. Then, suddenly, another quiver, then Elizabeth was tossed to the deck as she felt the ship jolt upwards and crash back onto the waves. The crewman chuckled good-naturedly at her unsteadiness and extended a hand towards her to help her to her feet. Together, they then took hold of Rose and lead her back out to the deck, where the ship and her crew were sopping wet from the journey. Elizabeth had nearly forgotten the vast emptiness, stillness, and orange glow of sunlight that made up the Locker, but was relieved to be here again with Will. After placing Rose back down on the deck, she raced to his side.

"Have you…summoned her before?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "I've got to try." He then looked out into the distance. "Calypso," he called out, "The Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_ wishes to converse with you."

Nothing happened. The crew stood by, silent in anticipation.

"Calypso!" Will called out, louder. "We need your help. We wouldn't disturb you if it wasn't a matter of the utmost importance."

Still nothing. Will looked to Elizabeth, completely at a loss of what to do.

"Tia Dalma!" Elizabeth tried. "Rose Hexfury is dying!"

Suddenly, the ship gave another shudder as the still waters suddenly erupted in activity, all around the ships exterior railing, a sheet of water shot up into the air, forming a wall that surrounded the vessel on all sides. All aboard cried out in alarm and stepped in unison away from the ocean wall.

Will stepped away from the rest, gazing upon the barrier. "Calypso?"

"Rose Hexfury dies, says you," Calypso replied suddenly. However, this caused Elizabeth, Will, and his men to spin around and look upon one another in alarm, for when she spoke, her voice was heard in each person's own voice inside their head. The goddess didn't _have_ a singular voice; It felt like her words were coming from inside each of them.

"Aye," Will replied when the commotion died down. "You are the only one who can end her suffering, I believe."

"Rose Hexfury does not die," Calypso elusively replied.

Will furrowed his brow at this confusing remark, but said slowly, "Aye…her soul and body appear to be at war. Is there a way you can help her?"

Calypso was silent for a moment, then said, "Would you be willing to accept the charges if I did?"

Will spun around and exchanged a worried glance with his wife. She just looked back at him vacantly, just as uncertain as he was.

"What charges?" he asked Calypso.

"Will you accept?" was all she insistently replied.

He took a moment, then said, "Aye."

"Good," Calypso stated. Then, "Would you prefer it if I took a form you were familiar with?"

She didn't wait for his answer, and began her transformation right then. The wall barrier suddenly fell back to the sea all at once as the resulting sea mist shimmered in the sunlight and formed the translucent image of Tia Dalma, faded, but looking just as she was in human form.

She grinned and sauntered closer to Will, now using her own former voice once more. "Id been too long, William Turner. Ya done well wid da charges placed upon ya before."

Elizabeth stepped out from the crowd and near her husband. "Calypso," she said, "Rose suffers greatly. Black magic performed poorly by Angelica Teach is killing her, yet she will not die."

Calypso craned her neck around the couple, looking to Rose. "Nor will id," she replied. "Black magic not strong enough for id to be killin' she."

Will shook his head. "I don't understand."

Calypso leaned her head to one side, gazing deeply into Will's eyes. She lightly brushed a hand alongside his cheek and led him so that they stood over Rose, away from the others.

"Da charges," she crooned. "Ya vow ta take dem on ta end her pain, mm?" Will nodded. She grinned and raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Den, id be time." She suddenly lost her form, collapsing back into mist. All was still for a moment as Will looked around in confusion. Then, all the crew leapt backwards as Will and Rose were entirely enveloped by a localized wall of water around them. Elizabeth tried to charge the wall, but it was no use; whatever Calypso was doing, it was meant for Will's knowledge and Will's knowledge only.

Calypso was entirely in control of their fates.


	75. Chapter 8 - What Rose Was There For

Rose opened her eyes to darkness. Though she had no idea where she was or how she got there, she hoisted herself up to her elbows, finding herself on what appeared to be a murky lake shrouded in fog. She was in a black rowboat without oars, bobbing along on its own into the void. The sky was as black as the lacquer of the boat, and a simple lantern providing some vision golden light levitated behind her.

For once, her mind was completely empty. Thoughtless. Although there was nothing to see, she saw clearer now than ever before. She leaned over the edge of the starboard side of the boat, and instinctively felt the need to place her outstretched arm into the deep, clear water below. Before her index finger made contact with the surface, however, water droplets bounced and danced along the length of her arm.

She smiled. "Hello, Calypso," she murmured.

She let the droplets roll off her skin and back to their shadowy home, then touched her neck where the Calypso's locket hung. She looked down at it, but in doing so, noticed her appearance. Her hair draped down in waves, sitting gently upon a red dress with a black bodice, one that she recalled in some dream, but never wore in person. Every trinket she had ever worn on voyages long since past hung from a belt around her waist. That's when Rose realized that she was most certainly dead. This must be the afterlife. She sat back in the boat and looked around her, wondering if Will would be by soon to ferry her to the other side. She wondered who or what she might find there, but wasn't sorrowful in the slightest. She was oddly accepting of her fate, whatever it might be.

What she was not anticipating, however, was rain. A steady patter of droplets began to pour down her from above, but this was no ordinary rain. After a moment, Rose suddenly heard Calypso speak in her head, though it sounded like Rose's own voice.

"I made you promise to a task before they freed me, did I not?" she said.

Rose's heart raced, as she looked around for Calypso, whose presence was there though she took no form. "Aye?" she said uncertainly.  
"My locket which you wear. You are endowed with great power."

Rose's eyes went wide with realization as she smiled, finally understanding. "When Barbossa freed you," she said, "And I collapsed on deck… Calypso? What happened to me?"

"No man will ever bind me to human form again," Calypso replied. "To ensure this, I share my powers with you. They cannot find me if my form it split." Then, her voice echoed in Rose's mind as she whispered, "There is a touch of destiny about you, Rose Hexfury."

Tears came to Rose's eyes as nearly two decades of Calypso's promised prophecies started to finally make sense. "I control the seas?" she asked. "I have since that day?"

"Aye," responded Calypso. "We were never meant to be separated, the _Dutchman_ and the sea. Now you are united."

The tears fell as Rose grinned. "I'm promised to Will's crew, then. I have died and will work to help the _Dutchman_?"

Calypso didn't respond at this, surprisingly. Though Rose was unsettled by this, she continued by asking, "Am I to be free of the black magic then? And how will I harness your powers?"

The rain then grew increasingly powerful, and Rose froze as a strange feeling came over her. She took a large intake of air on a gasp, then grew incredibly still as every nerve in her body quivered. Her eyes flew open and felt icy cold and her fingertips shook violently with a sudden surge of energy. This lasted for a moment or two, then Rose took another gasp of air.

Then, she opened her eyes. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the blaring sunlight she now found herself surrounded by. Suddenly, forms became clear, and her eyes focused upon Will's face, leaning over her. Suddenly, she remembered…just a faint memory… Elizabeth had brought her aboard the _Dutchman…_ Will asking her to join his crew…she had said yes.

Slowly, she sat up, and Will helped her the rest of the way. Her eyes felt so heavy and weak and struggled to focus on anything specific, and instead meandered over many things. She wore the red dress from the vision…the same trinkets, the locket still around her neck…the _Dutchman_ 's deck…but a water shield surrounded the area where they both sat…Calypso.

"What do you know?" she finally asked Will.

Will blinked at her, and his expression looked vague for a moment, until he ultimately replied, "This was planned."

Rose squinted at him, her head feeling gradually more clear with each passing moment. A smile spread across her face. "This," she said, reaching to touch the locket around her neck. "This means we are to sail together, yes?"

Will nodded. "Aye."

"And," she said, examining her hands, which she now new shared the power to control the seas. "You know of…what I can do?" she asked him.

"I do now," he replied, grinning. "We are to be allies."

Rose suddenly grew somber. "But…what of Elizabeth and Henry? I can't-"

Will laid a hand on her shoulder. "You have done more than enough, Rose," he said. "I trust they can prosper without you."

"It is planned," spoke Calypso again. "Destined," she replied.

Rose shook her head, "Will," she said, "Blackbeard is threat. He vowed to return to find the chest."

"No longer," Calypso replied. "Another man now commands his ship."

Rose looked to the shield. "He's dead?"

No reply came, but Will said again, "This is how it was willed, Rose. There is…much to figure out, but Calypso has willed it for you to be here."

Rose shook her head. This was all so convoluted, but it must be so; Calypso had made Rose vow before she was freed to take on her duties, endowed part of her sprit into Rose so that no man could even bind Calypso's being into a human host again, and now Jones and Calypso could work in tandem, now in the form of Will and Rose, to traverse the world in search of souls to ferry to the afterlife.

"I'm going to need help in all of this," Rose finally said to Will. "I haven't sailed in years, and I now have powers I never knew I had."

He embraced her, saying quietly, "We'll keep you safe here, I promise."

Looking up, Rose spoke aloud a "thank you," to Calypso. The water shield then collapsed, falling to the deck and pouring off the side of the ship through the railing. Rose and Will found themselves back in the Locker, surrounded by the _Dutchman_ crew and Elizabeth, who raced towards them.

Rose stood and embraced her, though they both were in tears. "I tried so hard to help you," Elizabeth said, pulling away. "I'm so sorry I couldn't do more!"

"No," Rose insisted. "I…I'm here now. This was as it should be."

Elizabeth looked between Rose and her husband. "Rose will sail with you?"

Will nodded, rising to his feet. He then turned to his men and announced, "Gentlemen, welcome aboard Rose Hexfury, the next member of our crew."

Commotion broke out among them, and suddenly Rose was surrounded by unfamiliar faces as they stepped forward to greet her, shaking her hand, giving her a clap on the back, and the like. She and Elizabeth exchanged a bewildered look, but laughed as Rose was suddenly overtaken by curious questions and various greetings by her new cohorts. She gave in fully to the chaos, trying desperately hard to take in all of the new information she was presented with while still struggling to grasp her new life. …her new life in _death._ More and more faces passed by her, shouting out welcomes, embracing her warmly, laughing with her. She briefly reunited with Bootstrap, but was soon interrupted by another sailor who wanted to introduce himself.

Bootstrap let it happen, shouldering his way out of the crowd and back towards where Will still stood, his expression oddly forlorn and looking away from the celebration. Bootstrap followed his gaze and discovered that he was looking at one of the crew who stood in a distant corner of the ship, looking at the elated activity but keeping purposefully separate from it.

Bootstrap continued towards Will, breaking his gaze off the man. "Well," he said to his son, "I've seen a lot in my time aboard this ship, but this has to be the oddest yet." Will snorted at the understatement. Bootstrap continued, "You've got some explaining to do."

Will looked completely at a loss. "Where do I even begin? I've never encountered anything like this before."

"Why wasn't Rose freed instantly upon you promising her to the crew?" Bootstrap said. "That never happens. Was it because she was a woman? We've never had a woman aboard."

Will shook his head. "It's because she's been a _god_ for years and never knew it."

Bootstrap still looked confused. "And what are these, 'charges,' Calypso gave you?" His eyes went wide with fear as he asked, "She didn't give you more years of servitude, did she?"

"No," Will quickly answered. "There's no penalty for taking her aboard. Only secrets."

"Secrets?"

"I can't get into it here, but yes. This is more complicated than you know, and Calypso has charged me with keeping it as silent as possible." He gave Bootstrap a sidelong glance. "I'm going to need your help, though."

"Of course," his father agreed. "Does Rose know these secrets?"

"No," Will said. "And Calypso wants to keep it that way. Rose cannot know 'until the time is right,' whatever that means." He gave one more unsettled glance to the outsider, still hovering on his own away from Rose's welcoming party. "There's something else," he said, lowering his voice. "And I want to take care of it before it has a chance to start."

"What is it?" asked Bootstrap, leaning in.

"Calypso told me that a man aboard will bring Rose harm."

Bootstrap narrowed his eyes, motioning with his head towards the outsider. "You think it's _him_?"

"Who else?" Will asked. "He has motive."

"True," Bootstrap replied. "Do you reckon you should send him back to the Locker?"

"No," Will replied immediately. "That's cruel. You saw what state he was in. He seems docile enough to take orders if there are a few threats attached. It's a small ship…they'll inevitably meet, but…I think we can end this quietly."

"So," Bootstrap said, "After we return Elizabeth to Shipwreck, should I send him in?"

"Aye," Will replied, looking back towards Rose. "We'll end this before it can begin."


	76. Chapter 9 - Starting Over

The _Dutchman_ soon after returned back to Shipwreck's shores. Rose and Elizabeth exited Will's sealed quarters, and chatted idly on deck. It wasn't until Rose saw Shipwreck in the distance that Rose finally understood how Will felt; She was never going to return to her life on Shipwreck. Her world was entirely different now. She wouldn't see and work alongside Elizabeth every day, nor would she likely ever again. So, she was desperate to keep talking, knowing full well that their time was drawing to a close.

Will stayed behind for a time, and when he finally did emerge, he had a piece of parchment in his hand. He politely waited until a break in the women's conversation to hand the parchment to Elizabeth.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I know he can't read yet," Will said, "But give it to Henry when you feel the time is right. It explains…" His voice trailed off, and he gulped back emotion as he tried again, "It explains everything I need to tell him. I hope it will tell him everything he needs to hear, at least for five more years."

Elizabeth held the letter to her chest and smiled sadly. "Will, he already loves you more than you could possibly imagine. I don't know why you torment yourself in fearing that he'll ever resent you."

Rose chuckled. "I can attest to that," she added. "I wouldn't be surprised if he one day sets out to find a way to free you himself." She laid a finger on her chin pensively. "Much like…someone _else_ I know…" she said with a wry grin, clearly alluding to Will's own attempts to free Bootstrap years ago.

"That day might come sooner rather than later, knowing Henry," Elizabeth snorted.

Will smiled a bittersweet smile. "No, tell him to stay put," he said quietly. "I'll be with him soon enough." He then wrapped Elizabeth in his embrace, as they once again said a painful goodbye. Elizabeth was then moved to move down the rigging of the ship back into the dinghy, which had remained anchored in the Shipwreck harbor where they had left it. She looked up at Rose before descending, face twisted in pain. "Goodbye, Rose," she murmured. "I leave in the capable care of my husband."

Rose's own heart felt like it was breaking. "I am so sorry, Elizabeth."

"What on Earth for?"

Rose shook her head. "I promised that you wouldn't be alone while you waited for Will. I promised Will I would keep you and Henry safe. I'm afraid I can't deliver on either."

"No, Rose," Elizabeth insisted. "First, what happened to you was inescapable. Second, I'm _not_ alone. You owe me nothing. You never did."

Will stood at Rose's side, leaned over the rail and kissed Elizabeth one final time, their hands lingering to grab hold of one another for as long as they could as Elizabeth descended until finally only their fingertips were touching. Then, she was gone.

Rose felt the _Dutchman_ begin to move, but still she looked to Elizabeth. "You make sure that boy stays sweet, will you?" she called out.  
"Of course!" Elizabeth replied.

"And you'll tell my father about what became of me?" she cried again. "And Jack, if you see him?"

"I shall!" she cried back.

 _Good,_ Rose thought. Though it pained her that Teague and Jack would find out that way, it was the only option. "Take care, Elizabeth!" she called one final time.

Elizabeth shouted something back, but they had moved far enough apart that neither she nor Will could make it out.

After a time, Will turned his gaze on Rose. "Are you ready?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure," she said distantly. "This all happened so fast; One moment I'm alive, the next I'm dying, the next I'm…Calypso? Or…and extension of Calypso? And I'm…not going back to Shipwreck. Perhaps ever." The words sounded so much scarier once she spoke them aloud.

Will just nodded in understanding. "Believe me," he said softly, "I feel what you're feeling every day. I have for over five years now, and I will for an eternity." He took a deep breath, "But, that actually wasn't what I meant. I mean, are you ready to go below?"

Rose's eyes went wide in excitement. She had seen the _Flying Dutchman_ disappear and reappear from the ocean depths when traveling between Earth and the Locker, but never had she imagined what it was like to actually make the trip. She nodded happily.

"PREPARE TO GO BELOW, MEN!" Will bellowed to his crew, prompting a hearty, "Aye, aye!" from his men. He then turned to Rose. "As soon as you hear me say that, stop whatever you're doing and find the nearest sturdy place. Plant your feet like so," he said, sinking his weight back into his heels. Rose followed, grabbing on with both hands to the railing to her righthand side.

"READY? DOWN!" cried Will. Suddenly, the ship quivered and began to sink smoothly down into the waves. Rose watched as the waves rose quicker and quicker as they sank beneath the tide. She then instinctively took a deep breath as the ocean spilled over onto the deck and above her head, though after a moment, she quickly realized that this was unnecessary—she was undead. There was no need to fear running out of air when air was no longer necessary to live. Rose's eyes were wide open, watching the sea life around her as the ship sank lower and lower, passing fish, reefs, and remnants of the many shipwrecks that had given the island its name. Rose looked around at the other men, who were calmly positioned, completely used to this journey. She then glanced behind her at Will, who only smiled at her reassuringly as if to say, "Just a moment more."

Then, after a moment, the ship shuddered once more, and the green flash surrounded them all. They ship was then jettisoned upwards, exploding back into the Locker at full force, bobbing precariously from the impact. Rose and the crew were soaking wet, which was something she was definitely going to have to get used to, but the journey left all the others completely unfazed. In fact, Will was already off on business.

"Men, report," he ordered. All the men on deck instantly gathered around him, as did Rose. "Where were we last?"

"By my charts," said a thin, bearded man who had introduced himself to Rose as Coats, "We left off just south of Swann Cove."

"Good," Will said. "Let's make our way back. Keep charting. Who's on the next scouting party?"

A few men raised their hands, to which Bootstrap and Will exchanged a confused glance.

"Come now, gents," Bootstrap said. "I know more than that are coming with me. Ye weren't _that_ drunk when I gave the command, were ya?"

A few more straggling hands went up, and Bootstrap nodded. "That's better," he said. He then turned to Will. "I'll lead them ashore, then?"

"Aye, very good," he replied. "Back to your stations, prepare to make sail!" The men then scurried, leaving Rose wondering what to do next. Will turned to her immediately after, however, and asked, "Care to have a tour?"

"Gladly!" she replied, following him. "Will?" she asked.

"Mm?"

"'Swann Cove?'"

He smiled. "I'll admit I'm not very clever at naming things."

"I don't understand," she said. "Naming what now?"

Will turned, motioning out across the open sea, where an innumerable amount of islands and land masses peppered the horizon. "All of this," he explained, "Are islands in the Locker where Jones's seemingly endless supply of enemies have been imprisoned after their deaths. Coats was a cartographer in his living days. He's helping me map it. None of us still quite comprehend the bounds of the Locker, but we're trying. So far we've been able to chart over a hundred islands. We come across a new one, my father will lead a search party ashore, and will discover who, if anyone, Jones imprisoned there. He'll assess if he be worthy of the punishment, and if he finds him reformed or innocent, bring him back here to the ship, where I will either free him or offer him servitude."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "And how many men have you encountered on this islands so far?"

Will looked at her, face somber. "Over three hundred."

"My god," she exclaimed. "Jones certainly had enemies, didn't he?"

"Too many," Will said. "Most of them innocent. I'm trying my utmost to undo the damage he's caused, but some are have been alone for far too long and are too far gone in the mind to do much else. I free their souls and hope they find their way again."

Will then took her below deck, showing her the vessel's immense cargo hold and brig first, which was chocked full of crates and barrels. "Rum and cargo," Will explained, stating that every time they arrived on earth to the scene of a recent shipwreck to ferry the souls onward, they would loot the vessel's goods and keep them below deck. Countless goods and valuables were down here, and Will gave Rose permission to peruse them at her leisure. Then he took her to the gun decks and crew's quarters. These decks were now all sealed with tar to prevent water damage in between voyages to and from Earth and were all protected by heavy iron doors. The _Dutchman_ was the largest ship Rose had ever been on, and knew it was going to take awhile to get accustomed to her new home. She was then brought into the corridor where Will's quarters were and where two more doors were located, one on either side of the entry way. These were officer's rooms, though, Will explained, his only officer was his father, Bootstrap. The other room, positioned on the starboard side of the vessel, was empty and had been cleared out under express orders from Will as soon as Rose was aboard.

"No, I couldn't," Rose protested. "Really, I don't deserve preferential treatment-"

"Please, I insist," Will said simply. "I don't want you alone below deck with those rogues. You're much _safer_ here." Rose was confused; If she was dead, what harm could possibly come to her? And the way he emphasized the word, "safer…"

She didn't have time to ponder this too much, though, for Will opened the door to her new cabin, which was more spacious than Rose anticipated, and then gave her free reign to make it her own from the items in the cargo hold. Her eyes lit up at this. "Aye, _Captain Turner,_ " she said with a grin.

* * *

Rose completed her quarters to her liking within a few days. She had both a hammock and a crate bed with cushions, depending upon if poor weather plagued the ship. Tapestries and silks that were clearly collected from many different countries around the world adorned her walls, and she even found a few bottles and knick knacks to fasten to her ceiling with rope and nails. Inside, it felt like home, but as soon as she stepped foot outside, Rose was reminded of just how different her world was.

It wasn't that the men were unkind. In fact, many would stop to idly chat with her when she would appear on deck during the daytime. But these conversations were void of real meaning, and Rose found herself feeling restless. She wanted to contribute, so one day she approached Will.

"Captain," she asked earnestly. "What may I do?"

Will narrowed his eyes. "For what?" he asked.

"For the _Dutchman,_ " she replied. "I wish to help on deck. Or perhaps even go ashore with Bootstrap's scouting party."

He shook his head. "No, that's quite alright," he said. "My father's got more than enough hands for the job."

Rose tensed her jaw. "Alright, then. What about on deck?"

"No, I think we're covered."

She was incredulous. "But, Will—I mean, Captain, you've sailed with me before. You know what I can do! And if Calypso says that I am as powerful as I say I am…"

Will carried a pained expression on his face, yet smiled warmly, putting a hand on her back. "Rose, you've been working so hard for so long, why don't you rest for awhile? I will be sure to let you know if we can use your help. In the meantime, however, continue to get your feel of the ship. It takes awhile to get used to these things."

Rose couldn't comprehend Will's resistance to her helping. She didn't know about Calypso's dark prophecy—she had told Will not to alert her of the danger she was in. All Rose knew was that so far, she was useless aboard, and Will was unwilling to give her any task of value.

So for another three days, she waited. The homesickness grew and grew, until finally it got overwhelming. She stood on the quarter deck, looking over the water and staring at her hands. Calypso had said that she could control the seas…but how? She extended her hand over the water below, but felt nothing. Frustrated, she merely closed her eyes and tried to breathe away the anxiety that was building up inside of her.

She felt a presence appear beside her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that it was Will. He had clearly noticed her unhappiness, and was coming to check in with her.

"Trying out the powers, I see?" he asked.

She sighed. "I still have much to learn about them, apparently," she muttered.

"That will all come in time," Will said. "You have many years to figure it out." Then, after a time of silence, he added quietly, "I'm here to redeem a conversation that was promised to me. There's 'reason to smile again,' methinks."

Rose tried her best to attempt a congenial appearance, saying forcibly, "I suppose."

They were silent for a moment or two, and then he lowered his voice and said, "Still getting used to it all?"

Rose choked back tears that were brimming up in her eyes. Breathing heavily to try to keep composed, she said, "It's so… unbearably hard… to… let go…" When she couldn't stand it any longer, she let the tears she had been holding back fall. She felt so helpless and so small in that moment, and couldn't bring herself to look at Will, though she knew he was staring at her pensively.

He took a deep breath. "I know. You have family that you are close to. You feel...utterly powerless to protect them because you're a world away most of the time. Believe me, I understand." She knew he was right. And perhaps he knew this better than anyone. He had to suffer missing his son growing up. He took a deep breath and smiled again.

"And that," he continued, "Brings me to why I'm here."

Rose turned to him, intrigued.

His eyes lit up. "There's reason to smile again," he repeated.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Rose, do you know how I know when someone's in danger at sea?" She shook her head. "It's this sense that comes over me," he continued. "It's part of being the Captain of this ship. I know who and where and just how to get there." He gave her a sidelong glance. "I'm getting one of those feelings now. There's a fellow and his friend that I sense are in trouble out on the open sea. I'm indebted to him." He then gave a wry grin. "Care to go on your first mission?"

Rose was eager for change, _any_ change, so she instantly agreed. Before she quite knew what was happening, the ship left the Locker and exploded back onto Earth. Instantly from the geography, Rose could tell they were in the Caribbean, though the by the looks of it, they appeared to be further North than she was typically used to.

"Man overboard!" one of the crew cried out from the crow's nest.

The crew rushed to the port side of the ship, looking down towards two individuals on a makeshift raft waving for their lives. Before long, Will was handed Rose a telescope for a better view. She took it, then about fell over when she saw who was floating on the open sea.

Her eyes instantly filled with tears as she looked to her captain. "Will!" she exclaimed.

He beamed. "Reason to smile again?" he asked.

"Most assuredly!"

The men sailed close by the raft and threw a line down the inhabitants, who struggled aboard carrying a large bag of clinking glass bottles. One man Rose recognized came up first, but Rose was more intrigued by the second. As soon as he was safely aboard, Rose ran and threw her arms around her brother.


	77. Chapter 10 - Homesickness

"JACK!" she cried.

"AH AH AH! Careful!" Jack cried, pulling away from her. "Glad to see you too, lass, but watch the skin!"

Rose then took a closer look at her brother and recoiled. "Good lord!" she exclaimed. "What on earth happened?"

Jack's face and neck were beet red, and Gibbs fared not too much better. "Sunburn," Gibbs reported. "We've been on that blasted raft for days now." He turned to Will, shaking his hand merrily. "Thank goodness ye've come along, Cap'n Turner! We'd've been lost without ye!"

Will gave a smug nod. "Aye, a few more hours, and you both would have succumbed to the heat, I'm afraid."

"I don't doubt it, sir," Gibbs agreed.

Will and Jack then made eye contact. The last time they had seen each other, Jack had helped Will's dying body stab Jones's heart to save his life. They hadn't spoken since.

Jack's eyes smiled, though his burnt face remained stoic. "What, no tentacles yet, Turner?"

Will chuckled. "No, not yet, Jack."

"Disappointing," he replied.

"And what about _you_?" Will asked sardonically. "What happened to the sea turtles, mate?"

Jack shrugged. "Ran out of back hair."

The outsider who had been ever watching from afar and had been told by Will and Bootstrap to keep away from Rose appeared on deck at that moment. His blood ran cold when he saw Jack. With Rose standing by him…it was so obvious that they were related. Staying here and being noticed would only cause more trouble, he feared, so he fled back below deck to wait until he and Gibbs had gone.

"There is a debt to be settled, Jack," Will said ominously.

Jack looked alarmed. The last time the Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_ said that to him, he died soon after. "Remind me?" he asked.

"My debt," Will replied, causing Jack to breathe a sigh of relief. "I owe you my immortality. As you…appear to be without a ship," he commented, which made Jack give a pained wince, "I can offer you a lift. Will Tortuga do?"

Jack gratefully put his hands together in front of his chest and gave a slight bow in gratitude. Will turned away to give to orders to make sail, so Jack then hoisted the bag of bottles over his shoulder and turned to Rose, saying "I need to talk to you."

Rose obliged, leading him to her room, but was confused. Jack seemed not to question why on earth Rose was here in the first place. Did he already know?

Once they were inside and the door was closed, Jack placed the bag down and said, "Glad you're here! I've got a little matter I'm hoping you can help with."

"Jack-" Rose began, trying to tell him what had surpassed.

"After Turner drops us at Tortuga, I'm think you and meself head back to Shipwreck. Dad told me about your shop thing, by the by. Sounds grand."

"Jack-"

"I just had a nasty run in with Blackbeard, you see-"

"Jack, I-"

"Oh, and you're good friend Angelica too, believe it or not."

"Jack, I'm trying to-"

Suddenly, Jack looked around her room. "Where _are_ we?" he asked.

"JACK!" she exclaimed, laying her hands on his shoulders. She now had his full attention. "We're in my quarters." He looked bewildered, so she continued, "I can't go with you to Tortuga, nor Shipwreck. Do…do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Jack's expression then fell as he realized what she was saying. "Wait are you…you're not?"

"I died, _yes,_ " she said. "Apparently, however, I also control the seas? Calypso separated her form and endowed some of her powers to me so that she could never be bound to human form again. I…don't quite know _how_ yet, but apparently I've had the power for years." She smiled weakly. "I'm meant to be here, it would appear."

Jack sank so that he was sitting on her bed. She sat down by him. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "Even my little sister gets immortality before I do."

She chuckled. "I take it that the Fountain of Youth didn't go as planned, did it?"

Jack grimaced. "No," he said begrudgingly. "I…may or may not have given the chalice to Angelica."

"WHAT?" Rose cried, causing him to jump. "Jack!"

"WHAT?" Jack cried, equally surprised. "She was…well. Blackbeard was there, and she was over there, and only one of them could be saved, so I picked, and…here we are!" He looked up at her, and then all of a sudden noticed the cross scar on her right cheek that was identical to his own, the incision that connected them through the voodoo doll. "Wait, what's that?" he asked, pointing to the mark.

"Exactly!" Rose cried. "Jack, it's because of _them_ that I died! Angelica had no idea what she was doing and the black magic from the doll killed me. They used my blood to get to you! And now you're telling me that you had _both_ of them dying, and chose to save _Angelica?_ Who KILLED me!"

"I didn't know _that!_ " Jack protested. "…I'm not sure she did either!"

She glared at him. "Oh, so that makes it alright?" Then, she realized exactly what was going on. She punched him in the arm, to which he exclaimed, "OW! What did I _just_ say about 'easy on the skin?!'"

"You fancy her, don't you?" she cried. " _That's_ why you saved her?"

Jack hesitated, then sighed. "Yes, fine, alright."

"So where is she now?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Marooned on an island far away," Jack replied.

Rose furrowed her brow. "How…romantic?"

Jack shrugged. "Eh. It would have never worked out between us. She wanted to kill me too much."

Rose crossed her arms, skeptical. "I thought you were all about, 'take what you can, give nothing back!'"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "I am!" he protested.

"So why the soft-heartedness, hmm?" she teased. "Will, Angelica… Admit it, Jack. You're a good person."

He sneered. "No. I'm a wretch. A knave."

She nudged his arm. "Nooo, you're a _good_ person!"

He finally shrugged, conceding. "Fine, I'm…halfway decent."

"I must admit," she sighed, "I think Angelica actually is too, deep down. She seemed reluctant to threaten me. I think Blackbeard really got into her head."

"Aye, most assuredly," Jack replied. "Which reminds me…" he kneeled down next to the huge bag he had loaded into her room, procuring one of the bottles in particular and hoisting it triumphantly into the air.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "It's a…ship. In a bottle."

Jack looked offended. "Not just _a_ ship! _THE_ ship!" he brought it close to Rose so that she could clearly see that indeed, the ship inside was none other than a miniature _Black Pearl._

"My word," Rose exclaimed. "So _that's_ who took the _Pearl;_ Blackbeard!"

"I've got a whole fleet of them in that bag," Jack replied. "That's why I am in need of your help."

Rose shook her head. "I am away from all of my belongings now," she said sadly. "And also my herbs, or else I would have given you aloe for your burns by now." She gave him a small smile and handed the bottle back to him. "I will continue my search, though. I promise you that."

Jack nodded, then gave her a sidelong glance. "So, you're here now for what, the next hundred years?"

She shrugged. "I think so."

He considered this, then nodded his head. "I think I can make that work," he replied. He stood, and she followed him. Then, from around his belt, he unfastened one of their two matching pendants which had kept them connected for years.

"No," Rose protested. "I thought I told you to keep them both for luck!"

"I did, and they were!" he insisted, handing her one. "You need your own luck now. …especially sailing under the command of the eunuch."

Rose rolled her eyes and laughed, tying the pendent to her own belt, then embracing her brother gently, as to "go easy on the skin."

Within an hour, they had arrived in Tortuga, and Rose bid Jack and Gibbs farewell, then the ship returned to the Locker. It was all too brief a time to spend with her brother, but she was grateful for even a moment. Even a moment meant less homesickness.

Once they had returned, Rose pushed back her sopping wet hair and caught Will's eye from across the deck.

He grinned at her with a knowing look, as if to say, _Reason to smile again?_

She nodded in response. _A reason to smile again._


	78. Chapter 11 - A New Pair of Eyes

Though she now felt far more comfortable on the _Dutchman,_ Rose was still denied any duties by Will, who insisted that she remain "resting," despite two weeks having passed. She had done enough resting for her entire life, she was convinced. While the rest of her crew were often very hard at work, she was permitted to do nothing but try and harness her powers, which failed every time and make her feel completely idiotic.

Soon, the sun would set, and because of instinct, Rose would disappear to her room before the night blindness took hold. While there, she would blankly stare at the wall, immersed in her own boredom until she eventually fell asleep before beginning another wearisome, monotonous day of more nothingness. This night, however, she decided to stay up late. Having nowhere else to put her energy, Rose grabbed some parchment and and a ink quill she had found and began to write all of the tasks she knew how to do in order of how well she could perform them. Chief among them was manning the wheel, as well as sail repairs, knots, loading the guns, and healing. She didn't do it for any other purpose but to thoroughly convince _herself_ that she had talent and ability. She worked by the light of a candle, and was unaware that she was drafting this document long into the morning.

When she couldn't think of any more actions, she finally allowed herself to sleep. She woke up in what she presumed was the morning, got dressed, then walked outside for some fresh air. When she opened the door to the main deck, however, Rose nearly fell over in surprise.

Her first thought was, _What happened to the sun?_ She could see everything before her, but it appeared to all be enshrouded in a dark blanket. Millions of bright spots dotted the sky above her, and lanterns on deck made out the figures and forms of the men gambling, drinking, conversing, or simply relaxing after a hard day's work.

Suddenly, Rose realized…what she was experiencing was _night!_ Her poor eyesight had always rendered her vision null in darkness. But how could she see now? That was when she remembered. When the rain in the vision she had of Calypso that cleared her of the black magic, Rose felt her eyes grow incredibly cold. Calypso must have used her powers to reverse her eyesight as well.

Rose was in tears as she took in everything around her for the first time. This was what night looked like. She no longer had to fear the darkness. There was nothing holding her back now.

Now, Rose was more predisposed to spending more time on deck, especially at night. Rose would join the men, watching from afar or idly listening in on a tale someone told, just so that her presence was, well...present. One of these nights, Rose was brave enough to join in the conversation. A man known to the men as Gunner was in the midst of a tall tale about zombies.

"There's not but a thin layer o' flesh on 'em," he told them, "And claws like daggers. Their eyes shine blood red when they smell human flesh, and their fangs hang low o'er their chin when they strike. The necks! Those be their favorite bits of flesh!"

Another man known as Humphrey rubbed his jugular protectively and gulped. Rose snorted. Were some of them actually buying this?

One wasn't. He was a brutish man by the name of Hans. "Oh to the depths with your fangs nonsense!" Hans cried.

This was infuriating to Gunner. "You say I lie?"

"Aye, that I do!"

"Aye, but answer me this! You seen 'em in the flesh?"

"No," Hans retorted. "Because they don't exist."

"I saw 'em! With these very eyes!"

Rose interjected here. "You both are wrong." Eight pairs of eyes who were both participating and listening in to this conversation spun around and stared at her. "You both are mistaken," she repeated, leaning against the railing. "Zombies _are_ real," she said to Hans. She then turned to the rest. "And they are not as Gunner described. They don't have teeth that are any different than us. Their eyes never turn blood red, but rather are fogged over, like a blind man's. Oh yes, and they can see the truth and the future."

Gunner was incredulous. "And how do you know this?"

She smiled. "I've been threatened by a few in my time. In fact, the both of them had once been a men like any of you."

Rose told her story in great detail, much to their amazement and wonder. And they took it for truth, even Gunner.

"Well," he finally confessed. "It was dark that night I saw 'em."

The following night Rose told the story of how she was taught by Calypso. These men were particularly interested in that tale because Calypso was the reason the _Dutchman_ existed in the first place. Her audience grew from eight men, to twelve. The night after, she recounted an interesting misunderstanding in her youth in the bayou regarding an alligator hunter and a drunken pirate who had wandered off the trail. Her audience increased by four more. This continued until it became tradition—every evening, most of the crew gathered around to hear what she had to say. Some didn't even watch, they just quietly sat with their eyes closed, or their hands carving wood or tying knots.

Her storytelling blazed the trail for a new tradition onboard where the men would openly celebrate each night. One day, Will and the crew had saved the soul of a young man who had drowned in a boating accident named Francois, who was later revealed to be quite the musician upon discovering a partially destroyed violin in the cargo hold. The skilled man had repaired the instrument so that it was playable, and entertained the crew each night with different tunes that led to dancing, singing, and general rejoicing.

One night, Rose stood up on deck by the helm, overlooking the joyous scene below. Her face broke into a wide grin when she saw that the men seemed to have planned impromptu choreography where they would point to her whenever the phrase, "my bonny lass" appeared in a jaunty song Francois played. When the song had ended, she clapped enthusiastically for her personalized performance, but stopped as she saw Will approach.

"Look at this," he said in awe. "Rose, you should have seen this ship years ago. _Weeks_ ago, even. The men were miserable, just trying to trudge through each day of their sentence."

She smiled, overlooking the merriment with him.

"Look at them now," he said. " _You_ did this!"

Rose swallowed the disappointment that welled up inside her upon hearing this from Will. "I can do much more for this ship than bring entertainment," she said pointedly. "I have powers. True I can't control them yet, but—"

"I know, Rose," Will interrupted, "But please don't push yourself too hard. Things will all occur when they are ready to occur. For the time being, you aren't expected to do any more than what you are doing."

She nodded with a smile, though her frustration persisted. She had no way of knowing that Will's only intentions were to keep her safe. As long as Rose's exposure to danger was kept to a minimum, Calypso's dark prophecy could be avoided. If only Rose knew his reasons, then her vexations would not have troubled her so much.

 _Fine,_ thought Rose. _He thinks my only use is to keep his men happy. So be it._ She quickly swept down the stairs and joined in the dancing. All night she danced, on her own, in a group, but mostly with a partner. One by one the men would ask her to dance and she perhaps too enthusiastically accepted each proposal.

There was one proposal that Rose shouldn't have accepted and she quickly learned her lesson. The man's name was Defoe, and once he first started dancing with her, he began to yank her away from her subsequent partners mid-dance. Rose could smell the alcohol in his breath, but his grip on her was too firm, and she had no choice but to dance off with him again.

This trend repeated itself for two more nights, and began to cause visible unrest between the other men. Finally, Rose had had enough. She had been dancing all night, and wanted some time to herself.

Defoe, unable to take a hint, followed her, growling, "Dance wiv' me, lass!"

She smiled politely, trying to mask her disdain for him. "I'm sorry, but I am awfully tired! I'm going to have to rest during this next song."

"What's that?" he spat, growing suddenly dark and brooding. "Did I just hear ye say, 'no?'"

Rose nodded, heart racing. "No," she repeated. "I'm sorry."

He began to laugh, growing closer to her. "Who do ye think you are?"

Suddenly, Coats came to her aid. "You heard what she said!" he cried. "Let the girl go!"

Rose yelped when Defoe grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her toward him forcefully. "When I say somethin'," he whispered hoarsely, "You _do_ it!"

"That is quite enough!" roared Bootstrap, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere, completely silencing all on deck. "Defoe! You are to go below deck immediately, lest you be retarring the deck all morning tomorrow!"

Defoe pushed Rose away from him, grumbling as he begrudgingly obeyed. Rose caught her breath and shook off the encounter quickly, but was inwardly terrified. Never before had she been handled by a man that way, never mind a man with such a low philosophy regarding women. The circumstance was a reminder that while she had brought joy once again to the _Dutchman_ 's deck, she was living amongst pirates, some of the most infamous knaves sailing the open ocean. She could not allow herself to be caught off guard by any of these men, as all of them could pose a significant threat.

After Defoe's abrupt exit, there fell an awkward silence amongst the men. Bootstrap wordlessly disappeared below deck, and several others followed. Others still quietly returned to their previous activities, and others joined the night shift. After that tense moment, it was certain that festivities were to be no more.

François began to play a soft ballad, mostly to himself. The tune was beautiful and haunting, and reminded Rose of Tia's locket. She instinctively reached for where the locket hung around her neck and opened its face, letting the simple tune ring out as she gazed out towards the open ocean. Her line of vision changed, however, when she noticed someone standing a few paces off that she hadn't seen before. Closing the locket, she stood and approached the figure.

"I don't believe we've met," she said merrily, extending a hand.

The man was stirred out of his own thoughts by her voice and was greatly taken aback, immediately moving away from her and averting his eyes.

"Oh dear," exclaimed Rose. "I didn't mean to startle you! I simply found it curious that I've been aboard for so long without having met all the men aboard!"

The man opened his mouth as if to speak, but was very clearly uncomfortable. He was tall, with dark, long hair tied back, bearded and scruffy but with an air of confidence and stature. And his green eyes… There was something Rose recognized in him, but it felt more abstract than literal.

"Please," Rose said gently. "I'm a friend, I promise!"

Though still averting his gaze, the man stood straighter and spoke softly. "A pleasure, Miss Hexfury," he finally said, but Rose's face fell upon hearing his voice say her name. His appearance might have been completely different from whence she first met him, but the distinctive, deep voice was unmistakable. Her heart stopped and her blood boiled once she realized who he was, and remembered her promise from all those years ago when she was betrayed in a cell on Port Royal by this very man.

Rage burned in her eyes as Rose looked upon the face of James Norrington.


	79. Chapter 12 - The Promise of Redemption

Norrington's eyes grew wide when he saw that Rose had recognized him.

"You!" she spat. She drew her sword and yelled out, "Liar!"

Francois's music on deck had come crashing to a halt, but she cared not who saw this spectacle. She had just been granted a chance to fulfill her revenge, and nothing was going to stand in her way this time. James let out a yelp as he moved to parry once more. "I'm sorry," he said, through the cross made by their swords.

"For what? Lying? Repeatedly?" She swung again. This time, he anticipated her movement and put all of his weight into his parry, sending her toppling backward.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, offering a hand to help her stand up.

Now on the ground, she swung her arm out, swishing the blade low to the ground to graze his legs. He leapt, just barely above the slice. "You won't!" she cried triumphantly.

She scrambled to her feet and readied herself for the frontal blow James had prepared. Once again, they were braced against each other, blades in a perfect X.

James was out of breath. "Must we do this here? Now?"

"That's the thing about attacks," she spat. "For someone, they're always UNEXPECTED!" She broke pose and lunged toward him. He, however, grabbed her hand that did not carry a sword and pulled her into him so that her wrist was pulled across her back in an armlock.

He held his blade to her neck and put his face next to hers. "Really, you don't want to be doing this. May we please stop this charade?" Rose tried to spin out of the armlock, but James only pulled her arm tighter. He laughed once more. "This is pointless, you know. We're both dead, so there's no use in trying to kill me."

"Aye, but humiliation and pain are still a viable option!"

His eyes smiled. "Pirate!"

"Pirate yourself!" she hissed.

Rose finally managed to spin out of her armlock in the opposite direction. She was still pressed against him, but now they faced each other. Both of their blades were pressed against each other's necks.

"I freed you," he said. "What revenge is there to be had?"

Rose snarled, "Recompense for _using_ me! You…confused and manipulated me and set your dogs on me just so I would tell you where the Pirate Lords were meeting!"

"Consider this," he countered. "Who ended up victorious at the end of the War, you or me? You sailed away with kin and lived comfortably for years until you didn't, while I was long gone even before the first cannon fired. It was a wasted effort on my part regardless!"

Rose growled, "The only reason why I can fathom forgiving you after all this is what you did for Elizabeth."

"And yet you forget that I saved you as well," he finished. He looked down at her neck, then leaned closer to her mischievously. "I see you kept the key, _mademoiselle_."

Her face grew red. Of course. He _would_ spot the one keepsake she kept of his. "I thought the shape was interesting, that's all," she lied.

He leaned still closer. "No you didn't!"

Rose let out an angry grunt and ducked beneath his blade, freeing hers. She attacked, with a swing to the right, a swing to the left, all of which were blocked successfully by James.

"Predictable," he scoffed. "Clearly it was Sparrow who taught you how to wield a sword. You're just as haphazard as he is!"

At the sound of the clanging of their weapons, all peace and progress on deck had ceased entirely, and all of the men rushed to the place where James and Rose were having their row. Most of them watched in silent fascination, while several more eager onlookers drew their weapons and rushed to Rose's aid in some ill-conceived act of chivalry.

Rose stuck her arms out to keep these would-be protectors at bay. "Please," she cried out above their grumbling, "I can handle myself, thank you, despite my _haphazard_ swordsmanship," she said with a pointed look at James.

He only raised his eyebrows in amusement, which angered Rose more. She swung yet again, but he quickly deflected her with only a slight flick of his wrist. Another man inserted himself into the fight, making aims at defending Rose by taking James from behind. However, James's skill in battle was unquestionably better than anyone else aboard, with the exception of perhaps Will, and James turned just in time to deliver a swift kick to the man's chest, sending him backwards into the group of onlookers.  
"Did you not just hear what she said?" James scolded him. "She can handle herself, stay out of this!"

"We're not 'bout to let you 'arm her, Norrington!" a small-framed man shouted out.

James rolled his eyes. "What 'harm,' you imbeciles? _We're all dead!_ "

The man James had kicked back was less than pleased about having been taken out of the fight so quickly, however, and once he recovered from the blow, he launched himself full on at James. This caused the other men to charge at him, stampeding Rose in the process. As rum had been a choice beverage of the evening, several of the men had no idea what they were fighting for and began blindly fighting each other. This had quickly grown out of hand, and had unraveled into something Rose hadn't anticipated nor could control. Her main prerogative now was to dodge swinging arms and blades and to also find James, who was now somewhere in the middle of the massive tussle.

When a shot fired, all commotion ceased. Rose popped her head out of the mass of bodies to see Will standing at the head of the forecastle deck, pistol raised overhead with a stern-looking Bootstrap at his side.

"Who started this?" Will said, walking slowly towards the group.

Rose had certainly noticed that none of the men had taken James's side in the scuffle, but she didn't realize just how opposed to him the crew all were until a ripple of "Norrington" surrounded her as a certain answer for their captain. Rose knew that at least _one_ of these men had seen that it was actually she who had started the fight, but yet all of them were steadfast in blaming James.

She looked to James to see his reaction. Not even he protested, he just ruefully rolled his eyes and pursed his lips.

The crowd dispersed to make room for Will as he approached James. Rose had only ever seen the two of them together once before, when she had first met both of them accidentally on Port Royal many years ago. At that time, James had age, experience, status and Elizabeth over Will, and dismissed him with ease and pleasure. It was the strangest thing to see Will now exerting his power as Captain over James—now his subordinate.

Will looked exhausted. "Why?" he merely asked.

James gave a slight motion of his head towards where Rose stood, saying, "Ask your friend."

Rose felt the heat of all the men's eyes on her, and felt her face grow red. However, she had to face the consequences of her actions.

"I started it, Captain," she told Will.

He looked frustrated with himself, rubbing his neck with hand. "Oh dear. I thought you might know _of_ each other, but not much else. Norrington pursued you and Jack in the Caribbean, didn't he?"

"Yes sir," Rose chirped. She did not want to provide more explanation than was necessary.

"Did he pay you personal insult or harm from that time? Is that what brought about the attack?"

She could feel James's unwavering gaze on her, challenging her to say _exactly_ what brought about the attack. Rose wanted to keep her humiliating past with James a secret from most everyone, but especially this crew and her new Captain, who she wanted nothing more than to impress. She couldn't afford to give him reason to distrust her; she already had little to nothing to do on this ship. So, she kept her answers concise, replying only, "Yes. I encountered him once again after we were separated at Singapore."

Will looked confused and intrigued. "What happened?"

The exact question Rose was dreading. Her mind raced, trying to find either a suitable lie, or a elegant way of saying, "I became emotionally troubled, convinced myself that I was in love with him, and divulged perhaps the most important secret in the War on Piracy that could have ended all of our lives."

The time it was taking for her to formulate a response grew increasingly awkward with every passing second. Rose didn't expect James to speak for her. "She resents me because I held her as my prisoner. I knew her involvement with Sparrow and thought it was the quickest way to locate the _Pearl_ ," he began.

Rose looked at him in alarm, and his eyes glinted coyly as his mouth opened to continue the story. _No!_ she thought. _He's going to humiliate me right now in front of everyone._

She was shocked when the words she expected never came. Instead, James proceeded with, "She managed to escape, however. She sought revenge for the time I took from her. Time she could have spent fighting for the cause."

Will looked at her. "Is that so?" Rose, dumbfounded, only nodded in response. "Well," he said to both of them, "As this is to be unavoidable, I want to make one thing clear; Whatever happened between you occurred in your past lives. You both have new lives here now, and it is your duty to the _Dutchman_ that is your priority. Am I understood?" He looked at Rose expectantly, to which she replied, "Aye, Captain."

He then turned to get James's verbal confirmation, but said under his breath, "And I expect you to honor our agreement, Mister Norrington."

James raised his eyebrows. "What's curious is that I _did._ "

"You could have walked away," Will hissed, growing closer to him. "You are under orders. Remember that." He stood there until James begrudgingly spat, "Aye, _Captain._ "

Will then turned to his men, calling out, "Crew, back to your stations for the night, you know who you are. The rest of you, get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." As the men obeyed, Will turned to Rose, saying gently, "That includes you. Best hop-to."

She instantly replied, "Aye, aye, Captain." Rose felt great unease at having disappointed her friend and Captain, and was worried about the ramifications her actions might have on her future on Will's crew.

Soon, everyone had departed, leaving Rose and James alone on deck, an awkward space and silence between them.

Rose could see James out of her peripheral vision staring at her coldly, calculating something to say next. When she saw his chest rise, she immediately said, "Don't say a word."

He exhaled loudly through his nose in annoyance, then continued anyway with, "I was _going_ to remark about how badly you wish to impress your Captain."

"He's my friend," Rose replied stiffly. "Of course I want to impress him."

"He's not _mine,_ " James snorted. "Count yourself lucky. He'd always side with you before he'd side with me." Though she still couldn't bring herself to look at him, his eyes pored into her. "Although," he was still saying sardonically, "Why would you feel the impetus to lie to him if he is such a good, 'friend?'"

"Shut up!" she cried, glaring at him.

"Worry not, Miss Hexfury," he continued to chide, "Your lies are safe with me."

This caused Rose to draw her sword once more, and swing out at him. He was able to unsheathe his own at the same time, blocking her blow in the nick of time. Her motions were steadfast and sharp, however, clanging left and right again and again, blow after blow. She repeated the movements until she had moved him backwards toward a rogue plank. He tripped over it, sending him flying backward. She held her cutlass, tip pointed down at his face.

"I would kill you were you not already dead," said she. And with that, she sheathed her sword and walked back toward her chamber without looking back. She smiled when she heard the four men on night duty applaud as she left. True, it must have been quite the spectacle.


	80. Chapter 13 - Stars

Norrington had re-entered her life. This was a simple truth Rose had to face, and sadly she had to face and _accept_ it, as she had promised Will she would. But now knowing that the majority of her sentence aboard would be spent in close proximity to someone who hurt her so deeply seemed like an unbearable punishment.

What was her choice, though? Go to Will and complain? James was right, Will would undoubtedly side with her, but to what end? James would be punished unfairly, or worse, even maybe sent to the Locker. Or, at the very least, Rose would appear weak and incapable. The only thing she could do was take Will's advice and stay away from him as best she could.

Therefore, she mostly stuck to the indoors during the day, and came about in the middle of the night when the deck was clear, as most of the men had gone to sleep, no one in sight except for the guard above on the crow's nest. One night, Rose walked up toward the helm and looked over the unnaturally calm ocean. Ever since her sight was restored, Rose relished every moment that she could watch the innumerable stars. Beautiful.

But a firm voice behind her stirred her from her trance. "Incredibly clear, eh?"

She barely glanced behind her, knowing at once who it was. "Christ," she said. "All I ask is for one minute alone, and _you_ materialize." She turned around to James, arms crossed over her chest.

His eyes still glinted playfully. "Still hard feelings then, hmm?" She said nothing and only stared at him. He cleared his throat. "Right. I'll leave you be." She turned back to the stars, shaking her head, but trying to forget that he had been there. She heard him walk away a few paces, but could still tell he stood nearby.

Silence.

And then…

"You can see in the darkness now?"

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes."

"So…this is the first time in your life you've seen the stars?"

In spite of her annoyance, she smiled, looking back up at the stars which she found so entrancing. "Aye. They're so much…I don't know…more majestic than I ever expected." She grew pensive, thinking back on the past. "I once made someone describe them for me, and he said that they were only white dots."

James shook his head. "Not for me they aren't. To me, they're safety. They're a sure way home." He walked back a few paces until he was standing right at her side. After a moment, he said softly, "I'm glad you kept the key."

She snorted. "A reminder to never trust anyone, _ever._ "

"A good moral," he reasoned, "But a sad way to live."

Rose rolled her eyes, and huffily turned back to him. "You're forgiven. Now could you please go?"

"I appreciate the heartfelt sentiment, but as I recall," he stated, "This is as much my deck as it is yours. So I can stay here if I please...for the next century, in fact."

She pursed her lips, and said nothing, though her mind was searching for some witty comeback. He beat her to it. "You _are_ quite the swordsman, Miss Hexfury."

She groaned. "Don't patronize me. And call me Rose, for God's sake. We're spending the next hundred years together, it might as well be a cordial time."

"Oh no," James said, leaning up against the railing next to her. "As I recall some of your last words to me included the very specific instructions that I was to call you 'Miss Hexfury.'"

She sighed. "Well, consider it then that we both acted rashly." For awhile they were silent, until Rose said, "How did you even get here, anyway? Elizabeth told me that she had Will look for you after he became the Captain to see if you had elected to join Jones's crew once you were killed, but you weren't to be found."

"I refused," James replied. "Jones offered, but I wasn't about to stoop to his level." He took a deep breath. "I wasn't ferried though. And I'm sure you as well as anyone know where Jones's enemies go."

Rose's eyes went wide. "No," she gasped. "He sent you to the Locker?"

He stared out into the distance, taking a deep breath. "Bootstrap found me after a time as they were charting. He was the one who had killed me, so needless to say, he recognized me. He brought me ashore, I saw that Turner had become the Captain, and he offered me a way out. I took it."

Rose wondered how it must be for James to now have to sail beneath the command of his former rival, but she dared not speak the question aloud. She didn't quite know _what_ to say, so after a time, James continued, "I truly am sorry for leaving you the way I did."

" _Lying_ to me the way you did," Rose corrected gently.

He nodded. "Alright, yes," he responded. "But that last night when you came in so horribly battered by Beckett's men...I swear I had nothing to do with it. My only plan was to get the location of Shipwreck Cove, and I knew I could do it because you trusted me due to the fact that I treated you with kindness."

Rose shook her head and looked straight ahead. "Just to make your life easier. Was it all worth it in the end?"

"No, not just that," he said. "You heard it yourself—none of the men thought I was trustworthy because I was keeping you alive. They were prepared to take us both down and you know that. I had to stay alive by whatever means so that I could ensure—"

"So that you could save Elizabeth." Rose had replayed their days together so many times that she had put together her own idea of what James's motives were many years ago. "My details about the _Pearl_ had given you hope about their survival. You naturally wanted to save her."

"I knew there was no other way." He paused, then changed the subject. "I had already planned the trick with the key," he said, pointing to the now present key hanging around her neck. "After the men took you that night, I went to retrieve it as one of the men on duty was asleep. First thing in the morning, I gave you the bread that I had hidden the key inside, and returned back to my quarters, where there were two or three armed sailors there to escort me to Beckett's ship."

"And you gained control of the _Dutchman,_ as Beckett promised?" Rose finished.

"Yes," he answered. "Or at least, I _tried._ Clearly, Elizabeth told you how I died that night."

"Aye," Rose said. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "…only after I returned to Port Royal to find and kill you myself."

He cocked his head to the side. "My, your hatred for me really _is_ deep-seeded isn't it? What is it they say? 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?'"

Rose pursed her lips. "Well, I suppose you're forgiven now, seeing as I _can't_ very well kill you, especially now knowing what you sacrificed for Elizabeth." She considered for a moment, then added, "And for lying on my behalf in front of the crew. Thank you."

He nodded. "I could see that you wish to not be remembered as the one who nearly gave up the location of Shipwreck Cove."

"Nor as the one who let her emotions get the better of her," she snorted. "Which, I apologize for in retrospect. None of what I was feeling at the time was real."

She saw James slightly draw back from her at this. "What do you mean? The…kiss?"

"All of it," she replied. "I was deeply unhappy and lonesome. Anything I expressed was brought about by trauma alone. It was all a misunderstanding and a mistake."

There was a long pause, wherein neither of them said a word nor made a move. Finally, Rose broke the silence with, "As we've made amends, perhaps we could be friends."

She glanced up at him, the first chance she really had to get a look at him this close. Something had changed in his demeanor. He seemed cold and uncaring, just as he had when they had first met. "Perhaps," he said curtly. He then walked away without another word, leaving her there alone beneath her vast blanket of stars.


	81. Chapter 14 - Changing Like the Tide

Days passed, and still, Rose was rendered useless by Will's secret intent to keep her out of harm's reach. Therefore, Rose spent the next painstakingly long days on the ship trying to make water move. If she was to be the most useful, she had to know how to control the element of water to the utmost extent of her newfound powers. One particular day, when the ship was anchored in the harbor of a new island and the vast majority of the crew were ashore looking for one of Jones's forgotten prisoners, there was barely anyone aboard save a man or two performing various odd jobs as the ship bobbed peacefully on the Locker's calm seas. Rose took the opportunity to practice her powers. She leaned across the starboard rail and stared at a centralized spot of water floating beneath.

She began by emptying her mind of all thought, concentrating on only what she was seeing. She stretched out her hand and...nothing. She tried again.

Nothing.

She beat her hands on the rail, cursing under her breath. Her head wasn't clear, it was _spinning._ She was flighty and finicky.

 _Stop thinking. Concentrate._

Nothing. Not even a ripple of a wave. Just stillness.

James had arrived shortly thereafter. If there was one thing that Rose noticed since discovering that he too was a crewman aboard the _Dutchman,_ it was that James never went on the scouting missions. She noticed that Bootstrap would approach him occasionally, presumably extending him an offer, but James would always refuse, electing to stay separate from the others. When he approached her this day after yet another refusal to go ashore, he let out a sharp exhale of air. "Back at it again, I see."

"Yes." Rose felt mild annoyance. She didn't need his teasing right now. Progress was eminent, she _knew_ it. She just needed to focus…

 _Concentrate. CONCENTRATE._

She stared into the waves, now black, reflecting dark clouds that loomed overhead. She held both of her hands outstretched and closed her eyes.

"Perhaps its time you rested," his voice pierced through the silence.

Rose opened her eyes. He was standing adjacent to her, just a few meters away, hoisting a bucket of water into the ocean. Rose felt anger boil through her blood. "I'm doing just fine, thank you."

He peered over the edge. "Doesn't look like it."

"Do you mind?"

He raised his eyebrows, and put a hand up as if to say, "Alright, I'll leave you alone."

Rose turned back and closed her eyes, her pulse elevated. _Now you have an audience. Now you are being judged..._

Splash.

 _What?_

Rose opened her eyes and to her great surprise, she saw beneath her ripple upon ripple coming from the waves beneath her. Her eyes caught James's. They shared a bewildered glance, then together their eyes turned back to the sea.

She leaned forward closer to the water and held out her hand.

Nothing.

Rose was incredulous! That couldn't have been her imagination! She pounded on the railing again, letting out an exasperated growl. "It's not working!" she yelled.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" James asked, moving slightly closer to her.

"I _supposedly_ have been granted power over the seas."

He nodded. "I've heard rumors of that going around. How's that going?"

She glared at him and motioned to the waters below. "Clearly, it's not going _anywhere_! It's impossible! I can't get this right."

He leaned over the railing. "Well come on. Try once more."

Rose looked skeptical, but closed her eyes again.

 _Please. Please, just once more. James is here._

Splash.

That time she saw it! As though she had thrown invisible sand into the sea, the beads of water on the surface had bounced to all sides, creating those endlessly growing ripples. She beamed.

"See?" he said. "Do it once more."

Rose brought her focus forward again, and swiped her hand across the water's surface.

Nothing.

"But how?" she cried. "I don't understand. Why is it so inconstant?"

"Just calm down," James said. He hoisted his bucket of water up and set it on the rail. He moved closer still to Rose and put a hand on her shoulder. "Just try once more."

Rose was certain that this time would end in failure. All she could think about was the person who was at present touching her. Still, just to appease him, she closed her eyes and... Water splashed to the left. She swiped to the right. It moved to the right!

She whooped with joy and turned to James to share the moment with him, but she felt her heart sink as he gave a slight smile and turned away to return back to his work.

Then it hit her! Well, actually, it hit _him_ , because Rose swiped water to her left and upward. It missed her target, which would have preferably been the back of his head. It hit the top of the railing and sprayed in every direction, hitting his arm instead.

He stopped and looked back at her skeptically. Rose's eyes were wide with anticipation, awaiting his response. She raised an eyebrow, silently challenging him to retaliate.

She saw him stand straight, slowly reach into the bucket and toss a handful of water in her direction. She quickly dodged out of the way, but the water hit her foot. She let out a shriek as she ran to the opposite end of the ship and directed another stream of water at him. This time it hit his shoulder. He grinned mischievously and grabbed more water from the bucket and chased her across to the port side. The water hit her hair.

Swipe! Rose got the right side of his face.

Splash! He hit her back.

Swipe! She missed him.

He grabbed the bucket in its entirely and tossed it at her. Rose anticipated the action and held up her hand, causing the water to stop its motion toward her and break into small droplets that fell over the two of them like rain.

This merriment was not to last, however, as the quartermaster noticed the commotion and approached. "Oi!" he yelled. "Clean this up! The both of ye! That's an order!"

James struggled to contain his laughter, and Rose failed altogether, her shoulders shaking. Finally, James managed to say, "Yes, sir."

The quartermaster stalked away, furious. James quickly leaned in to Rose and whispered something into her ear. She responded immediately, taking his order, and sent a sharp, solitary spray right at the back of his head. They were silent when he turned back, as though nothing had happened, and waited until he had gone to burst again into a new fit of laughter.

Then, reluctantly, it was time that they both turned their attention to their work; They had to swab the now soaking deck. "It appears you have made my job all the easier," James said. "This was just what I was about to do anyway."

"Not exactly," Rose replied, "For now you're in trouble. _Again._ "

"I'm always in trouble," he scoffed. "Quite honestly, this was my job. You can go back to whatever you need to be doing."

"No," she said. "We'll do it together. I was given an order and I do not wish to be on the bad side of the quartermaster." She gave a small chuckle as she then said bitterly, "Besides, your guess as to 'whatever I need to be doing,' is as good as mine."

His eyes met hers as they worked. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I have nothing to do here."

"Will's…having you do _nothing_? Nothing whatsoever?" he asked in disbelief. When she shook her head, he asked, "Has he had any reason to distrust you before?"

"See, I've been racking my mind, and not any that I can think of! He's always held me in high regard. And he's seen me in combat and knows how I sail!" She sighed. "I am easily as good at both as any man here."

James gave a small smile and placed his brush back in the bucket. "Is that so?" he said, voice raised.

She raised an eyebrow, sensing a challenge. "…aye?"

"I can't speak for your sailing, but your swordsmanship needs significant improvement," he said in a superior tone.

Rose scoffed at his arrogance. "Excuse you, I believe _I_ won that fight."

He leaned towards her. "Oh come now, I let you win. I could have ended it far earlier if I had wanted to."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance. "Oh really?"

"Aye." He then wiped his hands on his trousers and stood. "Come now, on your feet," he ordered.

"What?"

He unsheathed his sword. "Do you want to learn or not? You claim to be as good as 'any man' aboard, so it's time you learned from the best," he unabashedly boasted.

Rose laughed, which resulted in a swift glare from James as she rose to her feet. "You are _not_ the best swordsman on this ship," she snickered.

"Oh really? Name one better," he challenged.

"Will," she replied instantly.

He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it, defeated. "Fine, yes, he's better."

"Well," Rose admitted, "I only saw you in combat the once. I am far more familiar with seeing Will fighting alongside me."

"No, no, he's better," James sighed. He then begrudgingly muttered under his breath, "He _was_ walking backwards on that bloody mill wheel, wasn't he?"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You…fought on a mill wheel?"

"It would take too long to explain," he replied. "Come now, draw your weapon!"

Rose pursed her lips and reluctantly unsheathed her sword. "I really shouldn't be doing this," she said, clearly trying to get out of his lesson.

"Oh really? Because I believe you just told me you had nothing better to do," he challenged. When she had no response, he continued, "Come. Raise it up." She sighed, then obeyed. Immediately, he asked, "What is that?"

"What?"

"What are you doing with your wrist?"

Exasperated, she dropped her hands to her sides. "I'm _holding_ it! What, am I doing that wrong too?"

He tensed his cutlass. "Hit me," he said.

Tentatively, she tapped his blade with hers.

"Hexfury…" he groaned in annoyance.

"Fine!" she cried, striking out at him.

"There!" he exclaimed. "You see that? I kept my wrist tight, and my arm took all of the impact. Hit again." She did, and this time, the blade absorbed her force. "See? Loose wrist. That way your hand doesn't get knocked clean off your arm. Now, let me strike, and you block and respond accordingly."

Her attention quickly was fully drawn toward defending herself from his blows, but suddenly, he started moving around towards her left. She began moving left as well, to which he stopped."What are you doing _now_?"

"You said to respond, so I did!"

"It's truly a wonder you lived as long as you did," he replied with a profuse amount of sass. "You _counter_ my movements _,_ don't move towards me!"

Their lessons continued this way for a few hours, where he would supply a new lesson, she would inevitably fail, and he'd make a snide comment. After awhile, it stopped infuriating Rose, however. She found herself invigorated by his challenges, for she didn't realize just how insatiable she was to do _anything._ His taking the time to teach her was a welcome break from the monotony, and after awhile, she found herself laughing at his judgmental comments. Clearly he wasn't being cruel, this was merely an extension of his pompous personality.

He had just taught her a maneuver which she had failed repeatedly, and finally once she had successfully completed it, he gave her an earnest look. The both of them were out of breath as he said, "Alright, Hexfury…you're…you're going to have to prove to me that you learned _anything_ today, then I'll let you go. Deal?"

Rose grimaced. "Must we? That means that you're going to test me on everything you've shown me, doesn't it?"

James grinned. "And no holding back this time. …and _no_ water, you cheat!"

She chuckled, remembering how when he had had her backed into a corner, she used her powers to swipe him in the face with a splash of water. "Fine, deal," she finally replied. She then took a moment to consider, then bent over, placing her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. "Just…give me a moment. I'm feeling a bit…lightheaded."

He furrowed his brow and approached her in concern. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Suddenly, Rose leapt upwards, quickly striking at him. Shocked, James managed to dodge himself out of the reach of her blade, then was able to shield himself from another blow with his own blade. "Nicely done!" he said, impressed.

She laughed. "You underestimate me," she said breathily.

"A mistake I won't be making again." He put all his weight into pushing her away, which sent her leaping back away from him. They then countered each other in a circle, waiting for the first to strike. Rose lashed out first, and James responded by swinging right at her head. She dodged beneath the arc of the swing and reached out to jab him from a low angle, which he also dodged. They then clanged away at one another, driving each other forwards and backwards across the deck. James began to best her, pushing her further and further towards the rear of the ship where she was about to be cornered. She noticed a barrel, and leapt atop it, continuing to block his motions as she spun out of the corner and now opening herself to the rest of the deck. James then put his all into his actions, and Rose began to feel real tension as she realized that he was actually providing her with a legitimate challenge. Using spins, kicks, parries, crosses, movements became blurred but her mind was whirring rapidly, calculating every action and all of his counter-actions. Again and again and again and then—

"What's all this?" Bootstrap roared. Before Rose knew quite what was happening, three men had wedged themselves between her and James, wrangling his weapon away from him. The scouting party had returned at the most inopportune moment, and must have instantly read their very intense sword fight to be a real battle.

"Stop! No!" Rose shouted. Suddenly, the ocean reeled, sending the ship rocking precariously and all aboard the _Dutchman_ stumbling to get traction. Rose braced herself, dropping her sword and keeping her hands still and out to her sides. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. Clearly, the shift in the tides had been caused by her sudden distress.

When the waters grew calm again, Rose opened her eyes to see the men looking about in complete bewilderment, a few more surfacing from a midday slumber below decks. Will and Coats, who had been spending the day charting the new island, emerged from the Captain's Quarters. "What was that?" Will asked.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief as she discovered two things; None of them suspected her as having been the cause, and, for the time being, James wasn't being accosted. While Will and a few of the men looked overboard to see if some abnormally large sea creature had caused the disruption, Bootstrap's gaze was still fixed on Rose. He approached her and James, who still stood where they had been left, looking completely disoriented by the sudden activity.

"What was all that?" Bootstrap said sternly.

"Mister Norrington was teaching me how to fight," Rose explained. "It was completely congenial, I assure you."

Bootstrap tensed his jaw, looking back at Norrington. "Remember your orders," he said simply. "Don't make me get Will involved again."

He then walked away, back towards where most of the men were still debating what could have caused the disruption.

Rose looked up at James. "What 'orders?'" she asked him. "Will and Bootstrap keep saying that. What are they ordering you to do?"

He only stared straight ahead and shook his head slightly. Changing the subject entirely, he said after a moment, "I still won that fight, I'll have you know."

Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Will's voice ordering the men to prepare to make sail called James away to work. He gave her a wry grin as he sauntered away smugly.

"Admit it!" she called after him. "I'm _just_ as good as you!"

He only glanced over his shoulder, giving a very certain shake of his head. _No._

She gave a slight laugh and rolled her eyes, then watched him leave. Perhaps friendship _was_ a possibility between them. Rose was convinced that just as she had learned how to make her powers materialize today, she could also learn to overcome her feelings for him from the past, which still continued to plague her. James clearly had no one else as a friend or ally onboard…perhaps their friendship could benefit them both. After all, Rose's swordsmanship _had_ improved significantly by his lessons, and it was because of his encouragement that she discovered the beginnings of Calypso's powers. Which reminded her…now that she _could,_ she should keep doing her utmost to refining her powers. She turned away to go back to practicing in an uninhabited part of the deck, but Will was standing only a few paces behind her.

Rose smiled at him, hoping that this would be the extent of their communication for the moment.

It wasn't.

He caught her by the arm as she tried to pass him. Quietly, he said, "I know what it feels like to hit a reef. I know what it feels like to be tossed around by a storm. I know what it feels like to have an enormous sea monster attack your vessel. None of those was what just happened." He looked earnestly at her, asking, "Was that you? Did you rock the ship with your powers?"

Rose took a deep breath nervously and eventually nodded. "Aye," she replied. "I can't quite control them yet, but with practice I shall. I just discovered how to begin using them today."

Will's face reflected pain as he sighed, reluctant with what he was about to say. "Perhaps…you should wait on those for the time being," he said. "We've already got so much in progress aboard, we can't afford to have anything go awry as you try to get them under your control."

"What?" Rose asked, her heart sinking into her stomach.

Will audibly winced, as he could see that what he had just ordered had completely eviscerated all of her hope. "Don't continue practicing," he said in finality. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, alright?"

He turned and left before she could respond, feeling completely torn. The situation he was presented with was beyond his control, as he had charges from Calypso to strictly obey. This didn't mean that he liked stifling Rose's want for purpose. In fact, he loathed it.

Rose, meanwhile, was almost in tears as she watched him march away from her. Now she truly had nothing. In her living days, she was always expected to do everything in her power to help. Now she had _powers_ to help and couldn't do a thing about it, from the most supernatural to the most mundane.

She had nothing left now. And in having nothing, she _was_ nothing.


	82. Chapter 15 - The Hurricane

Rose didn't want to go on deck anymore. It was just a reminder of all the potential she was not permitted to have. So she spent the night alone in her room, utterly restless and trying her best to fathom some next plan of action. But everything she came up with was quickly shot down by the notion that no matter what she did, Will would tell her to stop.

She lost track of time as she paced her room, and was only stirred from her thoughts when she felt the entire ship begin to quake. She braced herself against the wall as she felt the ship careen downwards, hearing the walls creak against the pressure of the sea. They were clearly making a return back to Earth, the first time in weeks. _Someone ashore must be dying at sea,_ Rose thought. A few times, Rose would be awake and on deck in the middle of the night after most of the other men had gone to sleep. Souls from Earth who had died that day materialized in boats and began to encircle the ship. Will would be alone, and would take the wheel, steering the ship towards an unmistakeable mist hovering in the distance. The boats would follow, then Will would weigh anchor, letting them float peacefully by and onward into the afterlife. It was stunningly serene to witness, and was one of the many facets of Will's daily job as Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_. For the ship to be going to Earth, however, was a different matter entirely; Lone souls would come in the boats, not providing a need to leave the Locker. Something significant must be happening on the other side.

Rose waited until she felt the ship soar up and back into Earth waters, then she left her room and raced out to the deck. She was immediately buffeted by harsh winds as she gazed upon gray skies and was met with a forceful patter of rain.

She joined the men as they gazed out towards the eye of a hurricane, which was tossing around a large galleon violently. She filled a space near where Defoe and a man named Srivastav were discussing the sight.

"Shame," Srivastav was saying. "Twenty-nine souls aboard, the Captain says."

"Forget the souls," Defoe said, "Shame about the ship." He clucked his tongue. "I had a ship like that in my day. Tell ya what, if I had _that_ ship…just imagine the damage one could do."

Srivastav looked skeptically at Defoe. "You sayin' that you'd trade the souls aboard for the ship?"

Defoe snorted. "Men are men. They can be replaced."

He then caught Rose's eye, and raised his eyebrows. "Can I help ya?" he snapped, causing her to instantly avert her gaze.

James then joined Rose where she stood, intentionally placing himself between her and Defoe. She looked over at him to acknowledge his presence, but all he did was overlook the morbid scene. Rose was quickly taken aback at how troubled he appeared. After several moments of watching the tempest rage, tossing the ship wildly along the troubled waters, he turned from the scene and walked a few paces to where Will stood at the helm.

"Are we not going to help them?" James shouted up to him.

Will tightened his jaw, preparing for the inevitable verbal sparring that was bound to take place. "It's not our place to interfere. This was predestined."

"Are you daft?" replied James. At this, everyone's attention had fully turned from the dramatics of the hurricane to the quarrel between the Captain and James, who continued his rant. "We're just _sitting_ here watching them perish, when we could go in and stop this! We have the _Flying Dutchman,_ Turner!"

Will turned his full attention on James, his eyes furious. "I am fully aware of which ship I captain, though it appears as though you have forgotten your place in my crew, Norrington," he warned.

"On the contrary, I've tried very hard to forget, yet here we are." He gestured to Rose, protesting, "We have her, why aren't we using her?"

Rose's heart began to race in panic when two dozen eyes all shifted on her. James didn't honestly think that she could possibly stop a hurricane's wrath all on her own, did he?

"Leave Rose out of this," warned Will.

"I've seen what she can do! With her help, there are many lives aboard that vessel that you wouldn't have to ferry across to the other side! Besides ignorance of seasonal patterns, what else is their crime?"

Will walked a few paces to square off with Norrington. "Don't think for a moment that I don't want to help as well. But that's not the job. We don't interfere with matters of life and death. Our job is merely to ferry souls to the other side, is that understood? And while I have heard lore of Rose's abilities, I don't think that she is in any way ready to control them yet. That marks the end of this discussion." Will raised his voice to address the entire crew as he commanded, "We are to wait for the storm to pass, then go in, look for survivors, ferry the dead, and loot whatever's leftover, just like any other mission. Have I made myself clear?"

The men, sans James who only sat there stewing silently, barked in unison, "Aye, Captain!"

"…aye, Captain," Rose murmured after the rest, eyes still fixated on a brooding James, whose gaze was now back on the storm-ridden ship. Her gaze too shifted to the scene when she heard distant screams of the men and a large splash. That was when the crew of the _Dutchman_ watched as the ship was tossed on its side by the uncontrollable waves, jettisoning the men into the churning sea with its rapid motion. Those who stayed afloat desperately rode the waves atop loose barrels, ropes or rogue pieces of the ship that had broken off.

Rose's view of this horrific scene changed however when James briskly approached her, taking her by the arm and leading her below deck, saying under his breath, "Come with me."

In her confusion, she silently obeyed as they disappeared below deck an into the deserted gun deck. James let go of her there and made haste to push aside a starboard cannon from a porthole and opening it, therefore forming a window from which they could look out at the capsized ship from below the main deck.

"James, what is this?" Rose asked, approaching where he stood peering out at the sight. "Why are we here?"

His brow was furrowed with intense concentration. "This isn't irreversible," he muttered, mostly to himself. "If there was a break in the storm for just a moment, even…and a strong westerly wave…"

Suddenly, Rose realized why James had taken her down here by herself; he had gone rogue, deliberately disobeying Will's orders in favor of trying to save the crew of the capsized vessel. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Absolutely not! I am not going to go against the _Captain's_ orders and risk being sent to the Locker over what ultimately is the fates of a few men. Innocent men, I'll admit, but men who were destined to die this day."

"First of all, Will would never send you to the Locker," James countered. "If anyone would see that wrath, we both know it would and shall be me. Secondly, we have the resources to save lives! Why wouldn't we?"

Rose scoffed. "Because one of those 'resources,' is me! What you saw the other day was merely a few splashes of seawater on a deck! I am nowhere near ready to make any sort of significant impact with my powers at this time, let alone attempting to control a hurricane!"

"Another point in which he's wrong," James argued once more. "With my guidance and your powers, we could change all of this! Just the two of us!"

"No, James. I'm not ready."

"Don't allow the opinions of one man discourage you!"

"A man who just so happens to be a captain!"

"As was I!" James stated, rendering Rose silent. "I was a lieutenant, a captain, a commodore, and an admiral… I've had _many_ more years on the sea than he ever has, and I subsequently feel certain in my discretion; You can do this."

Rose was still unconvinced. "Why does this matter so much to you?" she asked. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she instantly knew the answer and simultaneously wished that she could have taken the inquiry back. James's guilt-ridden expression confirmed her suspicions; He was so impassioned by this particular scene and determined to save the crew in order to atone for a similar act of belligerence years ago that cost him his crew, his ship, and his dignity. In pursuit of the _Pearl,_ he had made a rash decision to sail through a hurricane rather than around it in attempts to catch up to Jack. He washed up on shore alone days later, with the deaths of honorable, loyal men on his hands. By saving this crew, he was honoring the men whose lives he had ended prematurely.

After a moment, James only said, "None of them deserve to die. Perhaps the fool who ordered them into the hurricane, but otherwise…" His voice trailed off. He looked back at her, pleading, "Please help me. The only way that we can accomplish this is if we do it together."

Though still uncertain, Rose finally consented. "I'm not sure how much I can do," she said. "I don't control elements of the air, only the water."

They both peered out of the porthole. "Alright," James calculated. "It's the wind that's causing the waves. Do you think that you can resist it? Hold the waters back against the wind?"

Rose gulped. "I can try…" She stretched her hands outward, gazing down at the waves immediately below them. She first wanted to run a test to ensure that she at least had enough control over herself to actually perform any of her powers even in their most minor form. When she was successful, she took a deep breath and moved her focus toward the churning waters before them. Once she had connected with the waves, however, every nerve in her forearms jolted as though she had been struck by lightning. She let out a cry and leapt backwards, losing her focus.

She rubbed her wrists, wincing, "It's too strong. I'm not strong enough to hold the waves back!"

James placed a steady hand on her back. "You have never experienced anything like this before. Now you know what to expect. Try again!"

Though his tone was encouraging, Rose's mouth fell agape that he honestly still expected her to battle a hurricane despite seeing the immense pain it had just caused her.

James noticed her reluctance and turned to face her. "Look, I won't do anything to hurt you, I promise. We _have_ to give this our best shot, though! Please try once more."

Rose nodded in agreement, saying, "You need to be prepared for failure, James. This might not be possible."

"Well, then, we at least will know that we did all we could."

Rose took a deep breath, then pulled her focus to the focal point of the hurricane once more. Her body connected with the waves again, and the pain caused her arms to shake. She endured it, crying out in pain once again, but this time maintaining her hold on the waters. However, her arms shook so wildly that she was doing nothing to brace the sea against the wind; she was merely along for the ride.

James noticed this too. "Steady…" he said carefully.

Then he placed his hand on her back once more, and that somehow drew Rose away from the pain. Her focus was evermore sharp, and though still she trembled, her arms ceased their terrible shaking and the waters grew far more still.

"Excellent, excellent," said James quietly yet intensely. He took a moment to evaluate, then found the next action to take. He turned to her first, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Quite," Rose replied breathily.

"Do you think that you could hold with one hand and push a wave to the starboard side of their vessel?"

With her gaze unwavering, Rose growled through gritted teeth, "So you want me to control a hurricane with one hand when I can barely manage the deed with _two_?"

He grew closer to her, whispering, "Come on, you can do this!"

Rose took another large intake of breath, and pulled her left hand from its outstretched position. Her right arm once again began to shake violently with the intensity of holding the force of the water all on its own. The shooting pain began again, and Rose yelled in agony. James was quick to respond, pulling her back into his chest as he used his own right arm to steady hers.

"I've got you," he said. "Now, with the left, send a wave starboard."

Rose looked out at the scene of the hurricane again, and furrowed her brow in concentration. She moved her left hand outwards, but nothing moved. They both realized that it was because half of her body was holding the sea back while the other half was trying to make it move.

"Alright, release your hold," James ordered gently.

Rose flexed her right hand, letting the waves go and quickly swiping her left hand, sending a wave to the ship and its shipwrecked crew.

"Now hold again…"

Rose put her right arm out again and took an intake of breath when the pain came back, but held it steady.

"That wasn't enough to push it upright," he noted. "Send another."

She did.

"Now hold."

And she did.

"Another.

"Hold…

"Another…

"Hold!

"One more! Yes, that's it!

"Hold!

"Great, Rose, just one more! Now all of it! Give it everything you've got!"

Rose let out a war cry, taking both of her arms and pushing them outwards. Together, they had caused the ship to rock, and with her last effort, the capsized vessel was pushed back upwards. True, its mast was lost to the depths, but Rose watched as the tiny specks that were the men originally aboard her scrambled to climb back on deck. She noticed that a few men had been tossed astray by the storm, and gave another push of the waters to guide them back to the ship, but was careful to stop its progress before it rocked the vessel too roughly.

James still had his arms around her as they together watched the last of the men climb aboard their tattered ship.

Out of breath, Rose noted, "The storm. It's clearing!"

James too examined this, and he broke into a elated grin. Releasing her, together they celebrated in wild laughter. So thrilled was James, that it was awhile before he noticed that Rose had stopped celebrating and was sitting crouched against the _Dutchman's_ walls, clutching her right arm. He quickly rushed to her side, sitting opposite her and reaching out to take the arm she was nursing.

"My word, are you hurt? What is it?"

Rose didn't respond immediately, but slowly murmured, "I did it. I can control my powers!"

James smiled. "I never doubted you could." He looked about ready to say something else, but just then they were interrupted.

"Norrington," Will said sternly. "Come with me."

James and Rose looked across the deck to the doorway where their Captain stood, face hardened with anger. They had disobeyed his command, which was in turn the command of fate. They both quickly rose to their feet, and James obediently walked to where Will was, but Rose interrupted, saying, "It was just as much me as it was him, Will. I could have resisted, but I didn't."

James looked back at her, shaking his head, "No. This was all me. She was merely the tool of my plans."

Will said nothing, simply turning and walking back up the ladder back towards his quarters. James followed wordlessly as well, leaving Rose feeling just as hollow and empty as the room which she now found herself alone in.

* * *

Rose paced her room, restless. Would Will send for her himself after he was done reprimanding James? What would James's punishment be? It had been hours since the incident, and she found herself concerned that he would be sent back to where he came from in the Locker. Will couldn't afford an insubordinate colleague, so it was entirely within the scope of possibility that James could already be banished.

Her mind raced through every possible scenario when she heard a knock at her door. She took a deep breath; This was either Will coming after her for her mistake, or James reporting what was sure to be the worst. Finally, she opened the door, revealing a forlorn-looking James.

She opened the door wider to him, to welcome him in. His gaze travelled around the room, as it was his first time inside of it.

After several moments of silence, Rose couldn't take it any longer. "Well?" she asked, ringing her hands. "What did Will have to say?"

Quietly, James said, "He emphasized why we cannot reverse the hands of fate. There are matters that are out of our hands. We cannot undo every hurricane, reverse every tragedy. Things must run their course, and we are but fate's servants."

"But what of you?" she asked. "You're…alright? You're still here, I mean…"

He snorted, eyes averted. Bitterly, he muttered, "Aye. I'm most definitely still here."

Rose furrowed her brow. "That's all?"

James still wouldn't look up at her, taking a deep breath before stating plainly, "I think it's best if we keep away from each other."

"Ah," she realized. "So that _wasn't_ all. He told you to keep your distance from me, is that it?"

"It's something I've been rationalizing for awhile now, actually." His eyes remained downcast as he said, almost as though reciting a line of prewritten words, "I have 96 years of servitude left, and I would just like to get through them quickly and quietly. This is already painful enough as it is."

Rose was at a loss for words. She didn't understand if these words were influenced with pressure put upon by Will, or if James really meant what he was saying. "Painful?" she managed to squeak out. "What do you mean, 'painful?'"

He dodged her question and instead stating as he turned away from her, "Turner wishes to see you as well. Best step-to."

As he turned to leave, Rose followed him. "James, please. I don't understand…"

James took a deep breath, then after a moment spun around, quipping, "What's there to misunderstand?" Rose recoiled, not feeling this amount of irritability radiating from James since her days as his prisoner on Port Royal. He continued, "Let's just keep our distance, alright? How did you put it? 'This was all just a misunderstanding and a mistake,' correct?"

"James…"

He sidestepped her to leave the room, stating simply, "As I said, Turner awaits."


	83. Chapter 16 - Her Purpose

"He's clearly returned to his old self, pompous and obstinate as ever.

"He is a cold and bitter man hardened by years of disappointment.

"He stays separate from the other men, and hasn't made a single ally aboard in four years.

"He's very volatile and has many reasons to wish harm upon you.

"His time in the Locker caused him severe damage of the mind…"

Will had been lecturing Rose for what had felt like hours. He began with a speech similar to the one he had given James: It was not their place to interfere with the hands of fate, despite the fact that Rose had proved such reversal possible with her recent demonstration of her powers. It was the _Dutchman's_ sole duty to aid in the process of death, not usurp it.

Then Will's lecture progressed onwards to him apologizing for inadvertently allowing James to coerce her into helping him, and then morphed into a stern monologue about all the reasons why James should not be in her proximity. But the more Will spoke, the less Rose really listened. At the root of the matter, this simply wasn't fair. She could understand why they could not interfere with matters of death: it was impossible to save every life and interfering could alter the course of the future depending on what actions were made. But what irked her was that no one would give James a chance of redemption, thus ostracizing him. She, meanwhile, did nothing but give him chance after chance, yet he was forcefully ostracized from her.

This was not to mention Rose's complete uselessness aboard the _Dutchman,_ rendered only by Will's command _._ At least James realized the potential of her powers. Now she was left entirely without purpose. If not for this purpose, _what_ purpose?

Will was still spouting his condemnations against James. "For your sake, I hope you aren't...falling for his tricks, as both I and many of the other men fear you are."

"What is my purpose here?" Rose interrupted.

Will appeared to be taken aback. "What?"

"I said, 'What is my purpose here?'" she sat forward in her seat, addressing her captain earnestly. "Will, I'm restless. I have been granted these abilities whether I've wanted them or not, yet you refuse to have me help you. I cannot use my powers in the slightest, I'm not permitted to help chart the Locker, I'm not permitted to do any labor on deck… so why am I here?"

Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat, swallowing the truth yet again and stating judicially, "I was met with a difficult task in taking one woman aboard. Do I put the expectation upon you to take the same workload as my most experienced men? I knew you as a friend I owed a significant debt to. How do I serve as your superior?" He leaned towards her, lowering his voice. "I wanted to minimize your efforts on deck, to give you a bit of a…respite, I suppose, from all your many years of hardship. I am realizing that now perhaps I was misguided in my assumptions."

Rose smiled at his apology. "I appreciate your concern, but I have been literally begging you for work. I have an immense desire to do my part for this vessel. That part cannot possibly be for the sole purpose of on deck entertainment. I was not my mother in life, nor shall I be in death."

Will sat back, considering her offer. He still appeared skeptical, but finally he conceded. "Alright," he said, which caused Rose's hopes to soar. "Starting tomorrow, you are permitted to work on deck. Have some of the men show you how with this particular ship: Martin, Fitzgerald, Srivastav, my father…they know and respect you. Seek them out. If _anyone_ treats you poorly, inform me at once. Understood?"

Rose nodded happily. "And what of my powers, Captain? You've seen what I can do."

He pondered this for a moment, then gave Rose an offer she would gladly take. "Refine them," he said. "Then, take me aside in a week or so and show me exactly what you can do. We shall assess from there."

* * *

Rose barely slept that night she was so excited. With her eyesight no longer a hindrance to her, death far behind her, and the tide on her side, she had more power than ever to actually serve a purpose on board. Although Will had only allowed her to partake in menial labor, it was a small step forward that promised a great deal of payoff.

Just as Will recommended, Rose sought help from her biggest allies on board. Although at first the men seemed a bit unnerved by her queries about the ship's function and were slightly patronizing, many of them quickly adjusted to this change and were willing to help her. From her days in the tavern to her days in the bayou, she was raised to be a quick learner, and that much had not changed. While she quickly remembered how to knot, hoist and repair sails, and re-tar the deck, she recalled how steering the ship was her strong suit. While she much rather preferred steering manually rather than using her powers to influence the ship's movement, she would practice her powers in moments of spare time.

Two weeks passed like this. Rose would master a long-retired skill from the past every day until she was familiar with every function and inner working of the ship. She knew every cannon, every rope, every crate that the ship had. She would spend half the day doing menial work, half the day refining her powers, and the entire day avoiding James. The ship wasn't _that_ large, and especially when in the afternoons Bootstrap would lead a search party to a different part of the Locker to look for new crewmen and chart its location, the crew's size was greatly diminished, making it painfully awkward when the two would encounter one another.

James kept his word and his distance. He remained cognizant of Rose's whereabouts as not to bother her, but tried not to pay her too much mind for his own sake. He watched silently as she grew closer and closer to the other men, but grew increasingly disturbed with Defoe's proximity to her. From afar, he could clearly see his lingering gaze, boastful behavior when he was near her, and even overheard several demeaning remarks made to the other men about Rose. James stayed silent, but ever watchful.

And then one morning he watched Rose come to the deck to begin the day's work. He watched until he lost sight of her as she walked into a side corridor to fetch something she needed. He watched as Defoe, who was still heavily intoxicated from a previous night of festivities, closely following behind her and checking over his shoulder to ensure that he wasn't being followed. When the two of them were out of James's sight, he turned back to his work, knowing that he shouldn't get involved.

…however, what he had seen ate at him. It ate and ate until he could no longer just sit idly by. Something was telling him not to just watch from afar this time. Not with Defoe. Not with Rose.


	84. Chapter 17 - He Who Caused Her Harm

James stood and followed where Defoe and Rose had left down the corridor, the same hall that led to Rose's quarters. There was something that was awry, and he had to make sure that his fears weren't warranted.

Peering around the corner, he didn't see either of them. This confused him, for he hadn't let them get too terribly far ahead of him. He wandered into the hallway, looking for any sign of where they had gone. Upon passing Will's door, James came upon Rose's and his heart sank. What if Rose had been growing closer to Defoe in the time they had been avoiding one another, and he just hadn't noticed? She had befriended the other men, so this wouldn't be out of the question…

 _That must be it,_ James convinced himself. _He has gained her affections and they both are currently within her room._

He turned away, trying to leave the pained feeling inside him behind, but he stopped in his tracks and turned back. No…that couldn't be it. Defoe had always been boastful and aggressive towards Rose. Doubtless that he was lusting after her…she was the only woman aboard; _most_ of the men felt the same way. But Rose had always seemed perturbed by Defoe's volatile and domineering behavior.

James approached her door, for he was worried that something far more sinister was happening inside. He tentatively knocked on the door, listening for any signs of activity inside.

"Rose?" he called.

No response.

He turned away again. If not there, where _had_ they gone? Before he quite knew what he was doing, James found himself knocking on Will's door.

Will answered a few moments later in surprise. "Norrington? What brings you here?"

James struggled to find a suitable lie, unable to say, "I'm looking for Rose," lest he be met with more consternation from Will. Instead, he just peered around Will into his quarters. No one was within, let alone Defoe or Rose.

"I…um…I'm looking for your father, actually," James finally decided on. "I'm considering joining the scouting party tomorrow."

Will raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Well, we're still on Earth until the hurricane passes the southern tip of Florida, so there won't be scouting for awhile yet." He then cocked his head to the side. "Can't you tell him that yourself? He's aboard."

James hadn't considered this. "Aye," he lied. "Couldn't find him. I thought I'd check here."

Will nodded. "Well, have a look around. I'll tell him when I see him myself." He then clapped James on the shoulder and smiled encouragingly. "I'm glad to hear that you're expressing interest in going on the scouting missions, however. I really do want you to be a part of our team, Norrington. It's why I brought you aboard. I owed it to you."

James was quickly growing uncomfortable with the rare expression of friendship from Will, gave a quick smile and backed away. "Right, well, I'll let you know then." He then turned and left, leaving a bewildered Will behind him.

So as neither of them were in Rose or Will's adjoining quarters, Rose and Defoe somehow must have fled someplace else, though doing so would mean that they vanished immediately upon entering the hallway. James began to search the ship, trying to track where they could have possibly stolen away to. His results were fruitless, however.

There was only one place they could be, and that was off the _Dutchman_ entirely.

James suddenly realized that Rose could be in very real danger. If Defoe accosted her, he could have grabbed her and transformed back into the wall of the ship, taking her anywhere he pleased as long as it was on Earth. The bounds were quite literally endless. James racked his brain trying to think where Defoe could have taken her. He didn't know any personal details about him, like where he came from or where he desired to be. All James knew was that he had once captained a vessel before…

Wait. That was it! The day that the hurricane hit, James recalled Defoe stating that the ship James and Rose had saved was of interest to him. _Tell ya what, if I had that ship…just imagine the damage one could do…_

After Rose had saved that ship and her entire crew with her powers, the _Dutchman_ moved along, skirting the hurricane's path to collect the other souls it took. James remembered the vessel, however, and considered it worth a shot to see if what he feared was true.

Thinking on the ship, James closed his eyes and backed into the nearest wall of the _Dutchman._ Instantly, he transformed onto the forecastle deck of the broken and weather-weary ship, which was currently without a mast as a result of the storm. James was taken aback by the steady rainfall that he was immediately surrounded by, but quickly got his bearings and scanned the deck of the ship. He felt his stomach churn upon seeing Rose, struggling, gagged, wrists bound, and standing nearby where the mast was broken off at the base. Her entire body suddenly jerked away from the base towards the center of the ship, and James's eyes traced down her form to see a chain that wrapped around her waist. This chain, however, wasn't tethered to just one spot on the deck, but instead broke off into six chains which branched from her like spokes on a wheel, keeping her completely unable to move from her spot on the deck. This was clearly to prevent her from being able to meld into the wall of this ship and flee back to the _Dutchman._

James instinctively rushed to free her, but stopped entirely and took refuge behind the forecastle deck's railing upon seeing Defoe approach her. Unseen, James watched as Defoe stalked her like prey, grinning maliciously.

"Welcome aboard!" he said to her, arms stretched out wide. When she only glared at him, continuing to struggle against her bondage, he said, "There's no use in fighting, lass. We're going to be here awhile." He came very close to her, whispering, "And I'm going to need to ensure that you do exactly as I say."

Defoe swung around, examining the broken mast. "We're not going to get anywhere with this," he said, "At least not without a crew. But that can wait for the time being because I have _you,_ don't I?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and took her by the chin to move her face towards him. "But with that lil' demonstration in saving this very ship the other week, I daresay you can turn the tides in my favor to get enough leagues behind me and Turner."

James's eyes went wide at this. So _that_ was Defoe's plan; He wanted to flee Will's command, retaining his own immortality and sailing the seas doing whatever he pleased. With Rose, Will would be powerless to catch him. She could keep the ship in motion, as well as turn them against the _Dutchman._ They key was actually _getting_ her on his side, and his solution was abducting her and making her do his bidding by force.

Defoe leaned towards her face so that he was only inches away. "So? Get her moving. Show me what ya can do."

Rose just stared defiantly back at him. Enraged, Defoe slapped her across the face. James jumped with a start, and was ready to leap into action when Rose turned back, cheek purple as she shouted incoherently through her gag. She kept doing so until Defoe loosened it and pulled it down around her neck.

"And what will you do if I refuse? _Kill_ me?" she spat. "Do your _worst._ We're undead, you fool!"

Defoe only snickered, then pulled a dagger out of its sheath on his belt. Slowly, he began to lift up the skirt of her dress, and she continued to struggle away from him before he swiftly stabbed her in her lower thigh. James's blood ran cold as Rose's screamed out in pain.

" _That's_ what I'll do," he growled, twisting the blade deeper and deeper into her leg before pulling it out. "Death, no. Pain? Absolutely."

James knew that Rose would heal, but her winces in pain were excruciating. He unsheathed his sword, preparing to leap over the railing and down onto the deck when he heard Rose say quietly, "Alright. I'll do it." She looked up at him, saying plaintively, "But I can't do it with my hands bound."

He gave a skeptical look, but began to untie the rope that was holding her wrists taught. Rose then nodded slowly and took a deep breath, readying herself to perform her powers. However, she then spread her arms out wide and tensed her fingers, causing the sea around them to thrash about violently. Rose sent a violent pattern of sharp streams of seawater whipping violently around them from all areas surrounding the vessel. James ducked behind the forecastle railing to avoid them himself, covering his head with his arm for protection, but he still felt the sting of the streams as they flew past. He couldn't help but feel pride when he saw how resistant she was to Defoe's objectives. She clearly wasn't going to go down without a fight. His eyes narrowed as he looked through the railing to see what was going on below.

Though behind hit left and right from the streams, Defoe had regained his footing, and with his arms bracing his face against the impact of the water, he was slowly gaining on Rose. She saw this and tensed her arms even more, raising them up, which caused the streams to grow so violent, James almost couldn't make them out.

Everything stopped, however, when Defoe lunged out and grabbed Rose by her wrists, causing her powers to stop entirely. He raised them up forcefully, cursing at her insolence. He then began to bend her hands backward with the obvious intent to break both wrists. It was when she cried out in pain that Norrington leapt into action, leaping over the railing and landing onto the main deck, sword pointed at Defoe's back.

"Let her _go!_ " he said, voice shaking in anger.

Defoe released pressure on her wrists, though still he held them. Rose instantly looked to James, eyes wide and looking relieved that he was there. James's gaze leapt from Rose to Defoe, struggling between his urge to help her and utterly destroy him.

Defoe only chuckled at James's stance, reaching down calmly and refastening Rose's wrists together as he said calmly, "And what do ya expect to do with that sword, Norrington?"

James only tensed himself further. "You said it yourself; I can't kill you, but I can certainly cause you pain."

Now that Rose was once again powerless against her bondage, Defoe was able to fully turn towards him, eyebrows raised. "And what good would it be to torture _me_? With her, I get a means of transport. Power. Ya can't do a thing to me."

James's heart was pounding in his chest as he realized that he was right, though he kept his sword level to Defoe's chest. "What's stopping me from going and retrieving Turner right now, now that I know right where to find you?"

Defoe laughed wickedly, turning back to Rose. He examined her a moment, then stroked one of her cheeks with his fingertips, causing her to squirm in disgust. He then shot a look over his shoulder back at James. "Do it…and I'll hurt her. You'll return just in time to find it already done."

James's face fell, and he was clearly distraught by the threat. Defoe's eyes then glinted in amusement. "Ahh, I see the talkings around deck be true, then!" he cried. "You _do_ fancy the sea witch." Rose's eyes instantly met James's, and he instantly avoided her questioning gaze in embarrassment. Defoe continued, now stroking Rose's hair, "She's mine one way or the other, Norrington. The choice is yers, though. Leave now, and ne'er return, and forget about 'er. Or, make some ill-fated attempt at a rescue, and you'll get to see just what's become of your bonny lass once I have a go at her."

"That's enough!" James cried, stepping closer to Defoe.

"You must be truly desperate," Defoe snidely remarked, maintaining composure. "We all know of yer past with Turner's wife. And yet ya still try your hand with the gypsy. One last chance at companionship."

"ENOUGH!" James shouted.

Defoe swiftly kicked his sword up from where it lay at his feet on the ground and squared off against Norrington, beginning to push him across deck and cornering him. "Eager to share the warm bed of _any_ female, so you figured this one would do?"

Rose watched in horror as Defoe's cruel words began to take hold in James's mind. His arm quivered, and she watched as his cutlass slowly grew slack in his hand.

"Did it get terribly lonesome out there in the Locker, Norrington?" Defoe chided, throwing these insults at him one after another mercilessly. "Bet ya got so used to the isolation, you couldn't control yerself once a lass came aboard. No matter or not if she's a gyp, eh, Navy traitor? Lustin' for one of her kind—bet that would do the family proud! It'll be sad to see another one escape yer reach, but don't worry…I'll take _good_ care of her-"

Rose stopped listening, instead focusing solely upon how hurt she felt upon seeing how quickly these words could destroy a man as strong as James. His vacant expression and short, staggered breathing pained her, and she found herself instinctively shouting out, "I'll stay!"

Both men turned and looked at her. She swallowed her apprehension and steadily stated, "If I stay with you and help you, will you let him go?"

James was shaken out of his trance by her bargain, and sidestepped around Defoe, moving towards her. "Rose, no!"

Defoe grinned, keeping in pace with James. "I would love to, lass, but you see how I can't do that, can ya?"

Rose's eyes went wide. "You're…not going to let him return to the _Dutchman_?"

Defoe cocked his head to the side. "Can't, can I? We both know he'll tell Turner regardless, and I'm not about to lose me chance at freedom." He considered for a moment, then exclaimed, "I've got it! I recall a certain little nighttime chat between you and the crew where you told of Calypso's maelstrom that sent her back to the Locker." He dropped his expression and said stoically, "Send your Romeo there."

Rose quickly exchanged a glance with James, but he looked just as uncertain of what to do next as she felt. She had no idea if that was even _possible,_ let alone the fact that she would never dream of doing that to another person. But what choice did she have?

James's heart sank as he heard her tell Defoe, "I'll do it. Just don't harm him."

Defoe approached her, untying her wrists once more, but holding them firmly close to him, warning, "No funny business this time. You do _exactly_ as I say, or you'll pay."  
Rose looked earnestly up at him. "I promise, I won't." She then turned her gaze on James, her eyes lingering there for a moment. Before he quite knew what was happening, all of a sudden Rose began to hyperventilate, her breath growing rapid as she bent down, hands on her knees in a struggle to regain oxygen.

"What's this?" Defoe shouted angrily. "Get up!"

"I'm…just feeling…lightheaded," she gasped.

"Rose?" James asked concernedly, rushing to her side. As soon as he was but a few inches away, she looked up at him, revealing that she was completely fine. Suddenly, James realized what was happening; Rose had done this very action once before as a ruse to throw him off her game. They exchanged a knowing glance, and James immediately knew what was coming next.

In one perfectly timed moment, James threw his body entirely around Rose's, embracing her as tightly as he could. Rose, meanwhile, used every ounce of her energy to summon churning waves to blast the deck of the ship. As she was chained from six different points, she and James were completely stationary as gallons upon gallons of water sloshed on the deck, blowing a completely unprepared Defoe right off his feet. This sent him careening into the portside railing, where he was repeatedly met with Rose's crushing seawater. She kept this steady spray going for quite some time, then finally released, letting all remaining water slosh on and over the deck.

James released his hold on her, though he pushed her sopping yet hair out of her eyes and cupped her face with his hands. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" she cried, breathless. He then reached down and untied her wrists again, then raced towards Defoe's body, quickly examining it. He was bleeding profusely from the intensity of the blast, but couldn't die, and was therefore rendered unconscious for the time being. James then rushed to loosen the chains from the six points around the deck. She embraced him tightly as soon as she was freed, though she was shaking. "I…I don't know what to do…" she said, voice trembling.

He pulled away to look her in the eyes. " _You_ don't have to do anything," he said firmly. "What you did was already more than enough. That blast was enough to kill a mortal man, so he'll be out for awhile. We'll take him back to the _Dutchman_ before he comes to, you get Turner, and _I_ will sort this out, alright?"

But Rose, upon hearing him say the words, "enough to kill a mortal man," had tears well up in her eyes. She broke free of him and rushed to the starboard side of the ship, whispering, "No, no, no…"

James raced after her. "What is it?" he asked.

Her eyes scanned the waves. "The survivors," she whispered. "There were four of them at work onboard here once we arrived." She then let the tears fall as she said softly, "He said he would kill them himself if I didn't use my powers to blast them off the deck, and…I had no choice. At least they stood one chance of survival if I…" Her voice trailed as she thought back on what she had been forced to do.

James then began scanning the waters. He then breathed a sigh of relief as he said, "No, look!" He pointed to a few specks that were bobbing towards the island's harbor. "You didn't kill them—they're fleeing! You saved them."

Rose squinted, counting out four dark specks on the water. Indeed, they were the men from the ship swimming for their lives. "Oh thank god," she said, trying to calm her breathing. "I was so certain I had hurt them."

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "You did nothing wrong," he said. "We're going to bring him to justice, you understand?" He waited until she nodded before asking once more, "You're alright?"

"Aye," she said, voice now level once more.

He then turned and hastily made his way towards Defoe's unconscious body. She stayed behind for a moment before racing to catch up with him, head reeling from not only the stress of what had just occurred, but the revelation that James cared for her. Part of her knew it to be true, but her mind wouldn't let her believe it fully. She recalled how hurt he looked as Defoe repeatedly tore him apart with his words, and as she knelt down by his side before they left back for the _Dutchman,_ she asked, "James?"

"Aye?"

Her eyes searched his. "Are _you_ alright?"

He considered this for a moment, then said, "I will be, yes."

Without another word the two of them grabbed hold of one another and Defoe, and the three transformed back to the _Dutchman._


	85. Chapter 18 - Justice

James, Rose, and Defoe's body arrived in the same hallway where Rose and Defoe had gone missing in the first place.

James and Rose stood, and he instructed her, "Go find Will and bring him here. I'll stay behind to make sure this bastard stays put."

Rose moved to hastily make her leave, but another person who they hadn't noticed enter the hallway at that very moment made himself known. "What in the bloody hell is this?" said the quartermaster, who had stumbled upon what to his eyes must have been a very sinister sight; Rose and James standing over a beaten and bloodied Defoe. The quartermaster's eyes shined with rage as he pointed to James. "You," he growled. "This has gone on far enough!"

"Wait!" Rose implored. "We can explain!"

"None needed!" he snapped at her, coming straight for James. "You lot have caused nothing but trouble since allying yourselves!" He looked to Rose. "The Captain'll be hearing about this." Then, grabbing James by the arm, he muttered threateningly, "And it'll be straight back to the Locker for _you,_ Norrington."

"Stop it!" cried Rose. "Just _listen_ to what happened!"

"I've heard far enough!" replied the quartermaster, beginning to reach for Rose as well.

James meanwhile only rolled his eyes and pried himself loose from his grasp, laying a blow on him directly to the jaw. The quartermaster instantly retaliated, drawing his sword, and James did as well before crying back to Rose, "GO! Get Turner!"

Rose however, pulled her own weapon as a duel began and leapt straight into battle. Fighting alongside him, they began to corner their opponent in one end of the hallway. James then thrust his sword in front of one of the quartermaster's blows towards Rose, keeping it steady. That gave him enough time to turn to her and say, "Please go! I can fend him off long enough for you to get Turner here!"

She shook her head, placing her own blade in the standoff and pushing against the quartermaster's force. "I'm not leaving you here! Not until he listens to reason."

That was never to be, however, as suddenly, the quartermaster freed his blade, ducking low and stabbing James in the side. He gasped in pain.

"James!" Rose cried out.

He turned to her, "Go!" he pleaded once more.

Finally, she conceded. This had spiraled rapidly out of their control. She looked back one last time to see the quartermaster grab James by the neck and lead him out to the main deck. She then increased her speed despite the pain from her still-healing leg wound, rushing through the hall to the doors of Will's quarters and bursting inside.

The Captain was hovering nearby as Coats sat at his desk, examining the makeshift maps they were conceiving of the extent of the Locker.

"Will!" she exclaimed. His head jerked up with alarm at her tone. She went straight to the point: "There's trouble on deck."

"What?" he asked, rushing to her side.

"Defoe abducted me. James and I bested him together, but the quartermaster now has James in a skirmish! We have to stop it!"

Without a word, he rushed past her out the door, and she followed suit, right on his heels. They together ran the length of the corridor, but stopped midway when they heard the chilling sound of the snap of a whip. Will and Rose exchanged a bewildered glance. They continued along at a brisk pace until they passed the doorway to the main deck, when the scene opened up with every man having abandoned their work, and instead facing inward, backs to them.

 _Snap!_

Rose's heart stopped when she knew instantly what was happening. With absolute horror, Rose shoved through the crowd and dove headfirst through the last few of the crew who were blocking her path.

 _Snap!_ There the quartermaster stood whip in hand, aided by two others who held out his outstretched arms. There James stood, shirtless, back now dripping with blood.

 _Snap!_ He yelled out in agony. Rose's anger got the better of her. Without thinking, she raised her hands and swung them at the quartermaster. A stream of seawater from the port side flew quicker than a diving gull and swiped the whip from the quartermaster's hand, sending it flying across the deck and him scurrying after it.

She sent two more streams into the eyes of the two attendants who held James, causing them to recoil and lose their grip. James crumpled, yelling out in anguish as he immediately fell to the deck. She ran to his side, aiding him on his journey down as he leaned on her right side. By the time they were safely seated, the quartermaster had found his whip once more, and by the time Rose turned around, he was already poised to strike at both of them.

"Insolence!" he cried.

Rose shoved her right hand forward and sent a water shield spurting in order to deflect it.

"Stop!" exclaimed Will, having finally reached the front. "Quartermaster, at ease!"

"Sir, I discovered James standing over the body of Defoe, who was completely unconscious!" he cried. "Clearly, he had attacked him!"

"We do not reprimand like this!" Will shouted. "That was Jones's policy, _not_ mine. You will throw that vile thing overboard at once!"

Rose didn't watch any of this take place. Her attention was solely on James. His arm was draped around her for support, and he sullenly looked up at her. Then pain overtook him and his attention was back on the ground as he winced. She then examined the damage. These wounds were not just scratches— they were deep wounds that would have taken months to heal on a mortal. For the undead, wounds took much longer to heal, and while never creating any fatal consequences, they certainly did not exclude limitations of physical discomfort or pain. Rose had witnessed much cruelty in her life, but never such brutality. The skin had been sliced open by force nearly down to ribs and spine. This was not the normal force in which someone whipped another.

Suddenly, rage took the place of fear and protectiveness. The seas began to churn, rocking the ship violently as Rose stood, exclaiming, "Defoe kidnapped me while you _all_ failed to realize it! The only one who came to my aid was James! We brought Defoe back here for judgement! And instead, you assume it was _James_ who hurt _him?"_ She looked in disbelief over the entirety of the crew, Will included. _"_ Why do you all hate him so? What has he done to you besides keep to himself? This is immoral!"

Rose's fury materialized in the form of sea mist beginning to rise and swirl around the ship. Will put his hands up. "Let's all be at ease, now," he said calmly. "Let's move away from here and sort this out."

"There's nothing to sort out!" she protested. "He tried to assault me and James did _nothing_ wrong!"

"He's a Navy traitor, ain't he?" a nondescript voice from the back of the crew shouted out.

The skies began to reel with dark, billowing clouds as a wind began to pick up. "He's not a traitor," she growled.

The quartermaster stepped closer to her. "Someone really needs to teach you when to hold yer tongue."

"That's enough! Both of you!" Will shouted over the wind that grew ever stronger.

Rose's eyes gleamed in violent rage at the quartermaster. "I'd step away if I were you."

The knave leaned ever closer, saying under his breath so only Rose could hear him, "Really? And what are you going to do about it?" he goaded.

Now, this is where the narrative becomes a bit blurry, and no one's account that they have given me has been able to accurately describe what exactly happened next, so I will try to piece together what exactly occurred based on several different witness's testimonies. Rose must have lost consciousness, because next thing she knew, the men were pressed against the side rails of the ship, leaving the quartermaster alone in the middle of them, doubled over, conscious but bleeding profusely from his nose. Allegedly and according to several eye witnesses including James and Will, Rose said nothing to his response, and only stared blankly at him. She stayed firmly planted in place, still as a statue. Water from all directions attacked Defoe, slicing open his skin as they zipped and whipped past him. The men fled to a safe distance.

It was James who shook her out of it. "Rose!" he cried. The water knives had only begun, only grazing the quartermaster's face.

"Don't make things worse by stooping to their level, Rose!" commanded Will. She nodded slowly, having no idea what she had done. But she could see that some action had been taken, and her priorities once again returned to James, still huddled on the ground.

"What...was that?" he muttered.

She looked at him earnestly. "I am not certain."

In all of the excitement, no one had noticed that Bootstrap had returned with his scouting party.

"What in the blazes?" Bootstrap cried out to Will, descending from the helm. Looking around, she could only imagine how bizarre this must have all appeared; James bloodied and torn into pieces, to his right, the quartermaster, who was covered in cuts and scrapes, his nose having nearly been taken off.

A steady rain began to fall around them, and Rose stayed in place as the two injured men around her were picked up and taken below deck. She looked down at her hands.

 _'Dere be a touch of destiny aboud you, Rose Hexfury,_ Tia Dalma's voice rang in her ears from a nearly fourteen year old prophecy. _Ye will gain more power dan any man can ever dream of possessin'._

"The power of the seas," Rose whispered.


	86. Chapter 19 - Hurt and Lost Together

Will naturally wanted decorum on board his ship, and wanted to administer justice in the most equal way possible. So he had his men take the four of them, the quartermaster, Defoe, James, and Rose, and isolate them and guard them. Defoe was taken to the brig, the quartermaster was guarded at the helm, Rose was isolated in her room, and James was taken first into Will's quarters, where Will asked him what exactly occurred in his own words. After, Will called Rose into his quarters.

James was hunched over, his usually perfect posture marred by the pain, his shirt bloodstained and tattered. Rose instinctively wanted to treat him, but kept her distance. "He needs medical care," Rose said.

"They all do," Will reasoned. "And you will administer the care to _all_ of them because you caused this. Understood?"

Rose nodded, though she internally disagreed. James looked at her, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. Rose winced at his weak demeanor. "I suggest we move him to my quarters, where I can properly attend to him."

Will had no problem in permitting this, but he had something else far more important to say. "Now before I dismiss Norrington and get your side of the story, Rose," he began, "I need to apologize to the both of you."

Both James and Rose were confused and very interested in this unexpected turn of events. Silently, they allowed Will to continue.

Will drew his attention to Rose, finally telling her at least a portion of what had happened when Rose was first taken to the Locker. He explained how Calypso had spoken with him privately, healing and transforming Rose in the meantime. He told them how Calypso had warned him that one of his men would cause Rose great harm, and because of James's history, he naturally assumed that he was this prophesied troublemaker. He limited Rose's duties to keep her safe, and threatened James several times to not approach her. So certain was Will in his prediction that he completely ignored all of the dangerous signs of Defoe's behavior.

"Please forgive me," Will said to both of them. "I completely misjudged the situation, and it has caused you both immense pain and danger."

"I'm fine," Rose said, "Thanks to the help of Mr. Norrington."

She looked over at him, but his tired eyes stared blankly at the ground. It was clear he was just barely conscious enough to listen to what was going on around him. Will and Rose exchanged a concerned glance, then rushed to find a few men who could help James get situated in Rose's quarters.

When they were alone, Will began the process of getting a statement from Rose. "Now," he began, "I understand that Defoe attacked you. I do not expect you to give him medical aid in person, as I have yet to decide what to do with him. I still need to hear his and the quartermaster's accounts. However, you will provide the care they need and supply one of the men to give it to them. I cannot have it any other way."

Rose nodded, then plaintively stated, "Don't punish James any further. He did nothing wrong."

"I know. He was only trying to protect you," Will said. "And honestly, thank God he was there. However, I still need your side of the story."

Rose gave it, without interruption, and when she had finished, Will nodded and quietly asked her to leave. She returned to her chamber, where there was still a man stationed outside, but she was permitted to close the door. Inside, James stood uncomfortably in the center of the room, uncertain of where to go.

There was nothing to be said. Rose felt so incredibly sorry for him. She helped him out of his shirt and onto her bed, where he laid face down, allowing for her to closely examine the wounds. She had a few poultices on her belt, but she ached to be back at her station on Shipwreck Cove, where she had unlimited access to nearly every herb she could fathom. He winced when she applied a mixture into the cuts, but soon his breathing relaxed into a normal state, though he still found it difficult to speak.

"You…asked me what I meant…when…I said this was 'painful enough as it is,'" he managed to say. "I think…I can honestly say that this is _precisely_ what…I meant."

She closed her eyes and gave a slight sigh of relief that he was still his same, sarcastic self. "Shh. Don't push yourself."

"I'm fine," he said. "Are _you_ alright?"

"I'm fine."

His eyes grinned. " _Liar_ ," he whispered, smiling.

She smiled back. "We're one in the same now."

"What…liars?"

She gave a small laugh. "Well, yes. But I mean to say that now we've _both_ been injured at the hands of the other."

He gave a small nod as his eyelids grew heavier. After a time, he muttered, "You're better."

"What?" Rose asked, not fully hearing him.

"You…said that you were as good as any man here. You're not. You're _better._ "

Rose's heart fluttered at this, but she still felt so conflicted by his affection. All she could do was put her hand over his reassuringly. Shortly thereafter, he fell asleep. Rose watched over him for a time, but soon grew exhausted herself. She crossed the room to her hammock and crawled inside, swaying back and forth with the rocking of the ship and the sound of his breathing.

* * *

When she woke up, James was gone. It was already morning, and Rose had slept for over twelve hours because of the chaos of the previous day. When she saw he was gone, she immediately went out the door. The guard outside her door was gone as well. She first went to the second deck, where the men slept in case James had simply returned to his own quarters, but there was no one to be found.

She finally found him upon going outside, where she realized that the ship had since returned back to the Locker. He was in a chain working line, helping to hoist a sail she had repaired a few days before. He wore a new shirt and his jacket, having abandoned the ruined one from the day before. Rose went to him and grabbed him by the arm. He turned, and his appearance shocked her. His face was no less haggard or weary, though his demeanor was as if nothing had transpired.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked. "You are nowhere near well enough to be back at work. Come back with me!"

He shook his head. "No, I feel much better. You've already troubled yourself too much."

"I'm not a fool, James," Rose said. "Come with me." She led him back to her chamber, though he protested the entire journey.

"I assure you, I'm fine. I feel healthier. I'm on the mend," he had said.

"Take off your jacket," was all that Rose responded with once they were safely inside her quarters once more.

He took a deep breath. "I'm fine," he said again.

"Then, you should be able to take off your jacket."

He begrudgingly did so, revealing the dark red stains on the back of his shirt. Rose gasped. "You call this fine? The wounds opened up again! Take off that shirt."

He obeyed, wincing as the bloodied shirt peeled off his injured back. Rose led him back to her bed. Once she had settled and worked to reapply the poultice the the wounds, she said softly, "Now if we are to be civil to each other, I must lay down a rule— No more lies."

He grunted in agreement, then said after a moment, "Will came to a decision this morning. About Defoe. He sent him to the Locker. That was the first he's ever sent. I was not about to miss that bastard being sent off. He tried to take Will with him though."  
"What?"

"He attacked. Will's currently nursing a nasty chest wound that I would take a look at if I were you. Defoe made the same deadly mistake I did, forgetting that the Captain doesn't have a heart in his chest to stab. I would have woken you, but—"

"That's alright," Rose said. She understood the severity of that punishment. "How's Will taking it?" she asked.

"Not well. He feels like he's becoming like Jones." James began to get furious. "But what Defoe did was absolutely deplorable, I—" In his rage, he started to sit up.

"Shh," Rose said, settling him down. "I know what he did."

He looked at her as though he was trying to read her. "He didn't... truly _hurt_ you, did he?"

"No," she said, smiling. "You got there just in time."

James let her work in silence, although his breathing had increased along with his heart rate. There were words he needed to say, and for some reason, he knew it was now or never.

He reached his hand backwards, gently taking hold of one of her wrists and stopping her movements. She looked at him in confusion as he slowly pushed himself up to a seated position, and he motioned for her to sit next to him. As soon as she was settled, he said, "I can't help but make a note of how we appear to have reached some parallelism between past and present.

Rose gave a small smile, absolutely wracked with anxiety over what the next few moments were sure to bring. "What do you mean?"

"Port Royal. You were attacked and I dressed your wounds. You confessed your feelings that night." Rose felt flushed with embarrassment at the memory, and with eyes averted, listened to him continue with, "Now I've been attacked, you've dressed my wounds…" He swallowed back apprehension as he said quietly, "And now I…I'm afraid I must confess _my_ feelings."

Rose's eyes went wide. He was going to come clean about his emotions once and for all, and she was wholly unprepared for it. She didn't say a word, only listening and waiting intently, so James proceeded with, "I never thought I would see you again. But that day when Elizabeth brought you onboard..." His voice trailed off, then he locked eyes with her directly. "I wanted to do anything to keep you alive. To keep you out of that hell you were living in. And when you recovered and were yourself again, all I could see when I looked at you was that night." He shook himself from the memory and looked earnestly at her. "I promise you, although I did deceive you, I never anticipated your affections. I was jarred by it, having always been the pursuer, never the pursuit. And when I saw you here…I thought there might be hope for me yet. And not this…this great void of—"

"Loneliness," Rose finished. "I know that feeling all too well."

James nodded. "But with Turner's looming threats hanging over my head to stay away from you, which I truly could not have cared less about, honestly, and then your revelation that everything you felt for me was a mistake…"

"So _that's_ what caused you to be so cold towards me," Rose realized. "You must understand, I didn't mean—"

"It's alright," James said. "You said what you meant, and I was wrong to judge you for it. But truly, your words were a painful reminder of what I could never have. A reminder of _who_ I am."

Rose furrowed her brow. "Who?"

He took a deep breath. "You once told me that I could be the hero of my story. Well, that isn't the case. You were right; I _am_ the villain." He stared down at his hands as he continued, "I felt unworthy of happiness, even in death. And the notion of spending the better part of century in the midst of a constant reminder of my shortcomings in the form of you sounded like an existence more tortuous than what I experienced in the Locker. That's why I was cold to you, and for that I'm sincerely apologetic."

She leaned forward towards him, trying to comfort the pain he was feeling. She was so torn; A large part of her was flattered and floored by his confession, and was eager to return his affections once again, but another part of her worried that these were the false emotions arising again. She knew that there was only one way to combat the weakness.

"James," she said, waiting for him to look at her before she proceeded. "When I said that what I expressed to you back then was a false and a mistake, I meant it."

At this, James shifted uncomfortably and looked away, jaw tight. Rose drew her arm towards him and laid a hand on his cheek to turn his head towards her. "No, wait. Listen to me," she said calmly. "I meant it. I was hurt and alone and scared back then. I was insecure and unstable. You showed me kindness…and that's all it took to utterly confuse my mind. It wasn't real."

His jaw tightened even more, and he let out a rapid sigh, shifting his position as if to stand and dart out her door. "I understand," he said, voice tense. "Forget I said anything. I'll—"

"Let me finish, _please!_ " she begged him, holding fast to his arm. "However," she continued once he resignedly put his full attention on her once more, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's not too late for my feelings to blossom again. But this time, genuinely. Slowly. Naturally. In a time when I am fully in control of myself and can commit to getting to know you fully."

James pulled back from her touch. "No, absolutely not," he said, voice elevated in upset.

Rose's stomach dropped. "What do you mean? James…"

His breathing was heavy again, though he did not give the impression of being angry in the slightest. "I've already been a consolation prize once, and I have no interest in being one again."

"Consolation prize?"

"Elizabeth accepted my marriage proposal because she thought it her only choice. I don't want your affections if they aren't sincere. I couldn't take it again."

"James, this _is_ my choice, and I make it in all sincerity. I want to know you. I want to see if we could make a life out of this. A life in death, but a life nonetheless."

He slowly looked up, eyes filled with apprehension. "I don't deserve this," he said.

Her heart beat still faster. "What don't you deserve?"

"A happy ending."

"Of course you do," she whispered. "We are wicked in our own ways and good in others. What you did for me was _good._ What you did for Elizabeth was _good._ You are more alive now than you ever were when you were living."

And with that, he leaned into her and kissed her. All of Rose's thoughts and fears ceased to be, and were replaced by a sudden, existential joy.

They separated, opening their eyes. They entered the night as islands, separated by pain and uncertainty, and parted as one.


	87. Chapter 20 - I'm a Bit Nervous Myself

Rose woke up at what appeared to be the middle of the night, as all sounded still and calm above her bed on deck. Were it morning, she would hear the creaks and moans of the waterlogged floorboards. She woke up out of fear, just as she had for many mornings now. Fear that when she awoke, the past eleven months would all be a dream; That her powers, having been fully revealed in all their glory to Will, would not be the vessel's main source of power and influence across the seven seas, that her status among the crew would not be elevated beyond her wildest imaginings, and that James would be but an illusion, a fantasy of some memory from long ago.

But after a moment of panic, Rose looked at her surroundings, and breathed a sigh of relief that in fact all of these wonderful things _had_ come to pass.

Her mind was aflutter, but as soon as she let the many thoughts that raced through her fall silent, she felt herself begin to drift back into sleep. After a few minutes of peace, a sharp rap at the door startled her so much that she nearly levitated out of bed. She darted for her white cotton underdress and then lunged for the latch.

"Yes?" she asked curtly, her face pressed quite close to the small opening in the door that she had allowed.

The quartermaster was waiting outside and only gulped. It was apparent that even after nearly a year since the Defoe kerfuffle, he still didn't trust Rose after she attacked him. He said curtly, "The Captain requests your presence at once."

 _Oh no._ Rose gave a brief nod in corroboration and began to close the door. Right as she went to move, he called out, eyes over her head and peering into the room, "You as well, Norrington."

Rose froze, preparing some hasty excuse or negation, but none ever came, as she felt James appear behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waist assuringly, and she let her face fall, looking at the quartermaster wide-eyed to gauge his reaction. His brow was furrowed and his eyes incredulous, while James's demeanor was nearly the opposite. He beamed unabashedly and his eyes shined with utter glee. "Tell Turner we'll be there," he said. " _Together_." He then took the knob from Rose's hand and proceeded to close it on the quartermaster's bewildered face.

She spun around and looked up at James. "The art of subtlety is not your strong suit, is it?"

He shrugged. "Subtlety, no, but I am trained in the art of _strategy_."

Rose rolled her eyes and continued to get dressed. "Well that seems to be working _so_ well for you thus far. What is your strategy? Beyond getting us into danger!"

"We've rather accidentally landed in the perfect position," he said, climbing back into the half of Rose's bed he had decided was his in silent protest of the quartermaster's demands.

She looked at him skeptically. "Do explain."

"With pleasure," he retorted. "They can never harm us again."

He was being frustratingly vague. "I say again," said she, " _Do_ explain."

"Rose, it's been a _year. Y_ ou need not fear for my safety, nor I yours." He turned on his side, propping himself up with his elbow. "They've seen what you can do. How powerful you are. And with our union, they will fear us. Or, _you._ Nobody fears me."

"Yes but," she sat back down next to him, "It isn't this simple with pirates. They might try to control my abilities through harming you. Blackmail, perhaps."

He leaned in close to her, almost so that their foreheads were touching. He said quietly, "Let them talk. What have we got to fear?"

Rose embraced him and waited until she felt his arms wrap around her in return. She then ran her fingertips along his back where underneath a thin layer of cotton, those horrid and just barely-healed scars were concealed. He flinched at the touch. "I cannot let them hurt you again," she whispered into his ear. "If that means living behind closed doors, I will do what I must, even if it takes ninety-nine more years of secrecy." She released him, laying a hand on the side of his face. "That's why we need to see Will regardless. Perhaps knowing and understanding where we stand…especially _now,_ will put him on alert."

Rose opened the door and led the way. He called after her, close on her heels, "Mark my words, he'll be less than pleased upon hearing about us!"

* * *

Will was less than pleased upon hearing about them. James and Rose stood before him, an awkward and uncomfortable space between both of them as they stood like guilt-ridden children before a stern parent. Will just stood between them, glowering in silence. When he finally did speak, his voice was low and accusatory.

"I would have preferred to have spoken with each of you individually. That is what I ordered. But apparently, my commands were jumbled when you two were discovered in a single setting." Rose could feel herself start to grow red. "A setting," he continued, "Which provides an answer to my first question I would have asked the both of you, but now I need not ask it."

Rose looked to James. His eyes were fixated on their captain with bristled amusement, ever challenging his authority.

"You both have made your…romance, I suppose," Will groaned, clearly uncomfortable with the thought of his friend and foe in love, "Fairly obvious."

Rose gave a sheepish glance to Will. It was true. Even though they had tried to be discreet, their gazes from across the deck, obvious attempts to stay away from each other during the day but stealing away to a distant corner of the ship to talk to each other by night, and James having not slept in his bunk in months were not fooling anyone.

"How long has this been going on?" Will asked.

It had been going on for nearly a year, and it progressed just as Rose wished it to. Pleasantries grew into attraction, attraction grew to intense respect, and respect developed into love. They had tried to keep their relationship a secret not only for safety, but also as not to distract from their first duty, which was to the _Dutchman._ As things progressed, however, it became clear to both James and Rose that their priorities had shifted, and their feelings had become harder to control.

"Not long," Rose lied.

"A year," James said simultaneously, inciting a swift glare from Rose.

Will pursed his lips. "A year." He began to pace the room, looking at neither of them and visibly struggling to find the right words. "I...I am not particularly in favor of this union, for I only see woe coming from it."

"Ah," James piped up. "Is that because you admire Rose and despise me?" Rose nudged James, motioning him to watch his tongue.

"Not in the slightest, Norrington. Personal preference has nothing to do with this," chirped Will briskly without hesitation.

"Come now, Turner," James bristled. "Why else would you disapprove? Aren't you the primary advocate of pursuing the notion of 'true love,' despite prior _engagements_?"

Her nudge turned into more of a slap that time. Obviously, Rose's part in winning James's heart did not alter his feelings of hostility towards Will in the slightest.

Will stalked James as though he was ready to devour him whole. "Namely, Norrington, I refer to the shirking of your duties."

Rose's heart dropped. She knew _exactly_ of what Will spoke. "I can explain," she began.

"I would love to hear that," Will said to her. "I would love to hear how you managed to completely vanish off of the _Dutchman,_ not to be found by a thorough search from myself and every man onboard for the two of you. Where did you steal away to, _without my permission?_ "

James and Rose looked at each other, silently conversing with only their eyes. All crewmen aboard the _Dutchman_ had the ability to transport themselves from the ship to anywhere else with just the slightest bit of focus, as long as they were on Earth when they did so. It was a simple process, and the crew was not bound to the same land limitations as Will was. "Which time?" James finally asked.

Will's jaw was set. "There was more than one time?"

Rose winced. "Yes, um…three?"

" _THREE TIMES?!"_

Just then, the three of them heard someone enter through the doors behind them. It was Bootstrap, coming in to discuss some assortment of business with his son, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the tense standoff that was currently underway.

"Oh," he said. "I'll come back later."

"No, no," Will replied, motioning him in. "Please stay. The fun has just started."

Bootstrap uncomfortably entered the scene and leaned against a wall near Will, facing James and Rose. He crossed his arms over his chest and stayed there as a silent onlooker.

"Rose was just about to explain why she and Norrington have been off my ship without my permission not once, not twice, but _three_ times," Will said furiously to his father. He turned to Rose. "Proceed," he ordered.

"Well," she nervously began, "One time, we visited my father."

"Teague?" Bootstrap asked from the rear of the room. "How does he fare?"

Rose grinned, "Well, thank you!" To a brooding Will, she explained, "We hadn't seen each other since before my death, so it was good to catch up. Oh," she said, remembering, "And James wished to reunite with him as well."

"He saved my life when I was a child," James explained. "I found it right to properly thank him."

Will narrowed his eyes. "I would have granted you permission to visit had you but asked."

James snorted. "Doubtful."

Will glared at him. "And the other two times?"

Rose spoke up again, this time more excitedly. "Elizabeth was another time."

Will's face was red with anger. "You visited my wife without my knowing?" he said to James.

James grinned. "We all found it exceedingly curious that you never thought to mention to your bride and mother of your child that a significant figure from her past was serving on your crew. _Especially_ Elizabeth, who apparently asked you about me a few years back. Concerned about fidelity, Turner?"

"Is that how you consider my observed kindness toward you in letting you aboard?" Will spat.

James raised his eyebrows. "It's not healthy to keep secrets from your spouse, Captain."

"I don't need spousal advice from the likes of you!" Will retorted.

"Regardless," Rose interrupted, breaking the tension. "Elizabeth and Henry were extremely happy to see us, and they miss you dearly, of course. And," she said, pulling out a stack of bound parchment from the pocketed folds of her skirt, "Letters from Elizabeth." She saw Will soften a bit as she handed them to him. "She was wondering if I could serve as a liaison between you two."

Will looked up at her, considering this. "Yes, I would like that," he said, "But _only_ with my express permission. Understood?"

"Absolutely."

Will's voice lowered, and he grew closer to Rose. "How do they fare?"

"Henry has grown so much," she said with a smile. "Looking more and more like you each day. And Elizabeth continues to astound me. Clearly, the title of King suits her well."

This report pleased Will, but Rose wasn't completely doing their visit justice. Elizabeth was completely beside herself at seeing her closest friend again, and then once again when it was revealed that James was not lost to her forever. The two were finally able to make full amends as Rose reunited with her beloved Henry. Then the moment came when James and Rose told Elizabeth of their affections, and she was positively floored by the notion of two parts of her life coming together in such an unexpected way. It was a beautiful time, and Rose was so pleased that Will would permit her visiting Elizabeth often to deliver letters between the two of them.

Will was satisfied at this status report of his family, but had to get back to the matter at hand. "And what of the third time you went ashore?"

Rose and James exchanged another glance, asking one another a silent question about a truth which they both were incredibly uneasy to approach with just about everyone except themselves. Despite her anxiety and apprehension, Rose gave a brief nod, then said, "Actually, that would have been the first time we went ashore. It was when James proposed. We intend to be married."

Will's jaw dropped. "Married?! Under who's authority? Certainly not mine!"

"It had better be yours!" James shouted. "You're our Captain, and you shall marry us, despite the many prejudices you carry."

Bootstrap let out a small chuckle, a hand casually concealing an amused grin as he watched this all unfold and his son become gradually more and more agitated.

"Listen to me," Will said, trying very hard to keep his voice level, "I may have admitted to misjudging Norrington in regards to what I presumed was his dangerous nature, but that doesn't mean I approve of him."

"Oh tell us how you _really_ feel, Turner. Don't hold back," growled James sarcastically.

Rose tried once again to circumvent another verbal spar. "I promise you, Will, and this is no falsehood; I love him." She smiled to herself after the words fell out of her mouth. _Love._ Love that she knew was shared. Love that would never leave her. Permanence. The feeling was majestic.

Will escorted her privately to the side of the room and lowered his voice. James craned his neck to listen in to their conversation, but Will was careful to block his entry.

"Rose," Will began. "This man wanted to marry Elizabeth for no true reason but status. He tried killing me many times, and your brother many more. What would Jack think about this?"

She raised her voice to include James in the exchange. "And he also saved Elizabeth. He saved me. He spared your life when he could have executed you for freeing Jack. For your many reasons to distrust him, I have just as many reasons to trust him." With that, Rose swept to James's side, sliding her arm through his and leaning into him comfortingly.

She felt him slightly turn and kiss her forehead. A calm relief flooded through her chest as she drew closer to him. She felt his chest rise to speak again. "I thought I would never be able to...feel again. You cannot deny me this. I care not if you are the keeper of my soul. This much," he said, holding Rose tighter, "Is not in your control."

Rose held his arm steadfast, hoping she could provide enough support that he needed in that moment. She looked up at Will, who was staring at her as though carefully considering something.

"So this is where your heart truly lies?" Will asked finally.

Rose smiled. "Actually," she said warmly, "Technically we already were wed. Years ago, in fact."

"We were?" James asked in alarm.

Rose pulled away and looked up at him. "Tortuga. The Bride Auction. You bought me, remember?"

Suddenly, James did remember. It was the day Jack had gone on Tortuga, the same day Rose hated remembering. Rose had been disguised beneath a red wig and entered a bride auction as a diversion so Jack could have ample time and limited distractions in his quest. It had all ended badly when James, having caught up with the _Pearl_ in his pursuit, outbid Jack for Rose and held her at gunpoint to capture them both. Ultimately, Jack and Rose got away, but in fact, James _had_ been the highest bidder.

He grinned. "Indeed I did." His gaze lingered on her for a moment, then returned to Will expectantly.

Will sighed, paused for another moment, then said to her, "A wise woman you knew well once told me that for what we want most, there is a cost that must—"

"'Be paid in the end.'" Rose finished, reciting Calypso's words that she knew all too well. "And we have already paid that price dearly. Lives full of misery and loss should be granted an eternity of happiness."

He blinked and nodded, "Aye, if it were but that simple." He turned back to Bootstrap with a concerned look.

After a moment of tense silence, Bootstrap said aloud, "You have to do it now."

James narrowed his eyes. "Do what?

"Now?" asked Will.

Bootstrap nodded. "It's not fair otherwise."

Will sighed and shook his head. "I knew I should have said something sooner."

"Said what?" asked Rose.

Bootstrap shook his head, and to Will, he said, "You were under orders not to. It's not on you."

"What are you talking of? Speak!" cried James.

Will approached Rose, taking her hands and sitting her down in his chair. Gently and cautiously, he told her, "Rose…you aren't dead."

She didn't understand his meaning. "Well, I'm certainly not alive…"

"You're not either. Recall how your body was at war with itself when that black magic was upon you? It wanted to kill you, but your body refused to perish."

She squinted. "What are you saying?"

"When Calypso intertwined her powers with you, she made it impossible for you to die.

James shook his head. "I don't see what the problem is then."

Will kept his gaze on Rose, taking a deep breath, "It means that you cannot be bound to the 100 year servitude as the dead are. We have no idea how to free you. Rose…you're here for an eternity."


	88. Chapter 21 - Eternity

Hadn't it been just a week ago when the door to Rose's room burst open and slammed shut once she and her love entered, giddy off of the sheer presence of the other? Hadn't her laughter and his smile made up for years of anguish that they both had felt? Hadn't his kiss made her feel more powerful than anything she could perform with seawater? Hadn't he, in this moment of bliss, brushed a lock of her hair from her eyes and said, "Who would've thought that it was in death that I found a normal life?" Hadn't it seemed normal? Hadn't he gone on to state that he had wished during his living days to have a loving wife, sail the seas, and then, once his best days were behind him, pass along peacefully into the afterlife? Once a century had passed, they _could_ pass on together, fulfilling every aspect of his hopes. Didn't the notion of a final resting place sounded like an absolution that they no longer feared, but accepted? Hadn't it been that way? Hadn't they felt like this was all destined to be?

How did they get here, then? How was it that Will had just revealed the final part of the prophecy Calypso had given him? She had informed him that when she gave Rose her locket, not only did Rose consent to the endowment of her powers, but also immortality when the goddess was freed from her human form so that it would be impossible for any future man to bind her back into a singular, mortal entity ever again. Now with her form split into a figurative source in the Locker and a literal source in the form of Rose, Rose could not die, she would not age, and she would possess Calypso's skills. But without the pieces of eight and with Calypso's influence limited, there was no way for Rose to be freed. She wasn't dead. She never was nor ever would be. Rose wasn't bound to the _Dutchman._ She could go ashore any time she liked, and not even come back if she so chose. It was Calypso who had informed Will that she would be a valuable asset on his crew, but Rose nevertheless retained the ability to leave whenever she wished. Indeed, the mastery of her powers had helped the crew immensely, and she was proving herself to be said valuable asset with every passing day, but never was she obligated to do any of it.

James had 95 years of service left onboard the vessel. Rose, before learning all of this, assumed she had 99. It was James's original plan to prolong his service for four years until Rose was free to go, and then they would pass into death together. Now came the revelation that this would never happen, at least not until they could find a way to free Rose, which was extremely unlikely. Calypso was powerless in her Tia Dalma form to free herself, just as powerless as she was to bind herself. She could only split apart her form, not undo it.

It was a good thing Will had had Rose sit down before he broke the news, because she felt utterly destroyed. She had looked up at James when the truth had come out, and he looked clearly crestfallen.

Rose's eyes were distant and unfocused as she murmured, "I get to spend a century with the man I love…only to lose him for the rest of time." She looked at Will. "Why would she do this to me? I was her protege. Why would Calypso punish me so?"

"I'm not sure she knew," Will said sadly.

James stood by her side and firmly grasped her shoulder. "And why would you say _nothing?"_ he muttered to Will and Bootstrap furiously.

"He couldn't," Bootstrap explained. "She was already the only woman aboard. Drawing attention to her immortality and power would only put her at greater risk for 'the one who would bring her harm.' Calypso told us to not say a word."

Will shifted to peer into Rose's eyes. "She wanted you here though. The sea and the _Dutchman_ were always meant to work in tandem. That's you and me. You just…can't be bound here."

There was only silence. No one knew what to say, but there was a general air of despair in the room. James and Rose's impending marriage, which should have been a joyous occasion, was now laced with a bitter taste.

Rose's eyes filled with tears as an idea suddenly came to her. She laid a hand atop James's hand, looked up at him, and asked, "My darling, would you please give me some time alone with Will and Bootstrap?"

He looked down at her and saw how upset she was. "No," he said simply. "I want to be at your side."

"I'm begging you, James. Please."

"What must you say to them that cannot be said in front of me?" Rose didn't answer him, so he proceeded with, "I'm staying right here."

Her breathing became staggered and shallow as she turned back to Will, fighting back tears. "Can you free him?"

"What?" James cried.

"Will you free him?" she asked again, grasping Will's hands in hers. "After our wedding, please. Could you do that? I'll take his years and all his tasks. I'll more than cover it with the time I have, but will you just let him have peace?"

"Excuse me?" James asked incredulously, moving around the chair and kneeling down in front of his fiancee. "No," he stated firmly. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I get a say in my own fate this time around, and you are to suggest no such thing."

She couldn't hold the tears back anymore, and her voice broke when as she protested, "You deserve peace! We've had a year of happiness. Please, I can't…I can't lose you after 100 years together. And you deserve peace after all you've endured. We'll wed, then you can have your deliverance."

James shook his head in disbelief. "And you? You live out an eternity alone and miserable? I won't have it."

"Rose, listen to me," Will said somberly. "Take it from a man who knows; This is not the way. 100 years is at least 80 more than Elizabeth and I will ever get. You must love what little time you have to the absolute most of your ability."

But could she stand it? By the time James's service would be up, Elizabeth, Teague, Henry, Jack…all of them would be long gone. To lose her husband as well, then spend forever trying to rebuild some sort of normalcy once more, and to not think of her lost loved ones from the past? Rose had overcome much physical, mental, and emotional anguish over the course of her life. She knew she was easily an incredibly strong woman. But not even she was convinced she was strong enough to face forever entirely on her own.

James's gaze was fixated on Rose as these thoughts swirled through her mind. Seeing her so distraught pained him greatly, and he racked his brain to turn her tears into the smile he treasured so much. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.

"Bootstrap!" James said, turning to him. "Your son set you free upon becoming the Captain, did he not?"

"Aye," Bootstrap said.

"But you elected to forgo your freedom, correct?"

Rose saw where this was going. She stood and reached out for him. "James, no!"

He looked back at her. Kindly, he protested, "This isn't a negotiation." To Will, he asked, "May I prolong my service, Captain?"

Rose was adamant."James, this isn't the—"

"Yes," Will corroborated. "You can stay on as long as you wish. That is, given as long as you remain in good standing with your superiors," he said pointedly.

"Not a problem," James retorted.

"Please," Rose begged, absolutely beside herself now, "Think before you promise yourself—"

James pulled her into his embrace, holding her tight. "I don't need to, my love," he said softly. "How could I possibly rest in peace knowing your anguish outlives me? If you'll have me, I'll be at your side. Always." He took her chin in his hand, pulling upwards so that she was looking up at him as he brushed away a tear. "At least until we find a way to free you. But we have many years to figure that out."

She buried her head in his chest, feeling utterly overwhelmed. She didn't completely agree with his decision to forgo his freedom, but she could not have felt more loved in that moment.

Will watched in silent wonder at what he had just witnessed. He never knew James to be so moved by someone else as to make such a massive sacrifice for their sake, nor had he ever seen Rose so emotionally connected to anyone as she was with James.

After a moment, Will interjected gently, "Give me two weeks to sort some business out." James and Rose looked up at their captain. He grinned and said, "Then I'll marry you two."

He then dismissed them, giving them the day to sort out their emotions and further discussions about the many thousands of years in their future. After they had gone, hand in hand, Will collapsed into his chair, head in his hands. Bootstrap came around the other side of his desk, leaning across it.

"Well," Will sighed deeply, "That was not how I expected this day to go."

When his father said nothing, he looked up only to see him grinning. "What?" Will asked.

Bootstrap stated, "It isn't obvious?"

Will slouched. "Honestly, I'm exhausted. I don't have the energy to read into anything. What's obvious?"

"I have a solution to a massive problem you haven't yet considered," Bootstrap replied. "It's so perfect, there's no way it wasn't predestined."

Will furrowed his brow. "By who? Calypso?"

Bootstrap grinned. "By Calypso."


	89. Chapter 22 - A Proposal

Rose stood at the wheel of the _Flying Dutchman,_ a task she relished having at last. It had been years since Anamaria originally taught her how to do so, and now, as the vessel navigated to a new island in the Locker, she was so pleased to have the duty once more. She could very easily use her powers to steer the ship, but there was something nostalgic and comforting about doing it manually.

Once she was on a straight course, she allowed her gaze to wander to James, who was working alongside three others of the crew. She smiled at seeing him finally start to collaborate with others of the crew instead of remaining separate and isolated as he had been for so long. Finally, the _Dutchman_ was starting to feel like home, and it was high time, as it was now going to be their home for a exorbitant and indefinite amount of time.

"Mind if I join you?" Bootstrap's voice cut in as he joined her at the wheel.

Rose grinned and looked over at him, noticing a light violet bundle in his arms. "What's that?" she asked.

He unfurled it, revealing a lavender-colored dress. "I found it below in the cargo hold awhile back. We must've looted it among other items from a wreck. I thought to throw it overboard, but then I thought that there might be someone aboard who could use it," he said with a sideways smile. "Especially if there was to be an important occasion coming up in her future, as I thought there might be."

Rose looked down in embarrassment. "James and I tried to be discreet. How apparent was our affection?"

Bootstrap chuckled, " _Very_ apparent."

Rose laughed, then reached out with one hand to gingerly touch the dress. She was truly touched by his generosity, and said softly, "Thank you, Bootstrap. I absolutely will wear this at my wedding."

He grinned again, but then his gaze drifted to the main deck where Will was walking. Will cast a pointed glance back at his father and gave a slight nod, which Bootstrap also did in response. Will then made his way towards where James was, holding a scabbard in his hands.

"Martin!" Bootstrap said to a man who was fiddling with the rigging nearby where he and Rose stood. "Could you relieve Rose and take the wheel for a moment?"

"Oh no," Rose protested, unwilling to leave her beloved task. "Must he?"

"It's no problem, miss!" Martin replied, standing closer towards her.

"Just for a moment, I promise," Bootstrap assured her.

Reluctantly, she handed the wheel over to Martin and joined Bootstrap at the railing overlooking the rest of the deck. That's when she noticed Will approaching James. He got his attention and walked him over to the forecastle deck, where they began conversing, though their words were inaudible to Rose.

She furrowed her brow. "What's happening?" she asked Bootstrap in concern.

"Shh," he said. "Just watch."

Rose obeyed, watching James as Will spoke with him. Will was still speaking even as he handed the scabbard to James, a shiny, elaborately designed handle of a sword poking out the top. Rose's eyes were fixated to James as he tentatively accepted the sword from their captain and gingerly pulled the sword from its sheath only slightly. He looked pained, and slid it back into its sheath, handing the entire ensemble back to Will while shaking his head.

"He's refusing it," Rose said in confusion.

"Aye, we expected as much."

Rose shook her head. "I don't follow. What significance is that sword?"

"It's his."

"James's?"

"Aye."

"But," Rose protested, "He already _has_ a sword."

"This one's a sword from many moons ago," Bootstrap explained. "The day your brother came to Port Royal, the same day my medallion called to the _Black Pearl,_ Will had been commissioned to make that sword for Norrington. It was the day of his promotion, and Will still credits it as his finest handiwork. James died with his sword raised in defiance towards Jones. Jones took it off him, and used it to kill Will."

Rose's eyes widened. "So…Will died by the blade of his own sword."

"A sad irony," Bootstrap corroborated. "It's been sitting here ever since. We thought it might be time to offer it to him again."

Rose looked back to where her fiancee and her Captain were conversing. Her mouth fell ajar when Bootstrap ended his speech with, "…as he's due for another promotion."

Her eyes instantly filled with tears as she spun around to look at him. "You didn't!"

Bootstrap smiled and gave a shrug. "It's a solution, isn't it? James Norrington, Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_? The heir of Calypso and his bride commanding the seas he must traverse to ferry souls into the next world? That was how it was originally intended—Calypso and Jones, together for an eternity. It was his reluctance to do the job and her infidelity that spoiled the whole thing. That won't happen again. His sense of duty to the cause, your profound love for one another…the seas will bow to you both."

Rose bounded into him, embracing him tightly. "Thank you so much, Bootstrap. How can I ever thank you enough?"

He released her. "It was Will's decision as well." He motioned with his head over towards where Will and James still were standing. "Plus, we don't know that James will even accept the position."

"But…when?" Rose asked concernedly. "Neither of us are ready to take on such a task suddenly…"

"With any luck, you'll have many years to learn," he replied. "Once Elizabeth dies, Will would have no interest in going on with the duty, nor I without Will. On that day, he'll release me and have James stab the heart. You'll place James's heart in the chest. Does this sound alright by you?"

"Of course it does!" she grinned. "And that's what Will is proposing to James right now?"

They turned together to watch the conversation continue between the two men; a once proud man of authority and a once inferior man of no rank or status, who in a decade had their roles completely reversed, yet it was the once inferior one who now had the power to redeem the other. Rose watched the man she loved intently. She watched as his expression faded from that of attentive listening, to silent awe as Will's intentions became clear. James's rate of breathing increased, and a slight smile formed at the corners of his mouth, though he tried to suppress his joy. Rose knew James had a secret desire to command a crew once more, and she could only imagine the surprise and elation he was feeling at that present moment. She grinned widely when she saw him nod to their Captain, shake his hand, and thank him sincerely.

"Looks like he accepted," Bootstrap commented.

"Aye," Rose replied as she watched James take his gift back from Will just as he had so many years ago, a symbol of the life James had lost but now was given back to him in such an unexpected way.

Rose thanked Bootstrap again with another embrace. Bootstrap smiled, then motioned towards James once more. Rose followed his gaze and saw her love now standing alone, gazing at her and smiling broadly.

"Go to him," Bootstrap said. "There's much you two have to discuss."

* * *

James stood in front of the looking glass in Will's quarters, brow furrowed. He did not expect to be looking at all like he did on this his wedding day, and was generally vexed at his appearance. His blue Admiral's jacket he was wearing when he died and currently wore now was the one article of clothing he possessed that would have been the same had he wed according to his status, but even now it was dingy, missing many buttons, and had an unmistakeable hole made by a spear from when he was murdered by Bootstrap all those years ago. No matter how hard he tried, he was going to look disheveled and not to his preferred liking, but he nonetheless knew Rose wouldn't care. She constantly teased him about his Navy wigs from the past, so he supposed what he was left to work with was "good enough."

Will was kind to lend him his quarters to get ready in, although James still somewhat seethed out of pure habit at even associating "kindness" with his former enemy. Will had been kind in many ways towards James, however. He had found him in the Locker, he gave him an opportunity to ease his suffering, he had ultimately allowed him to marry Rose, and now had appointed him as his successor. Will _was_ kind, but James quickly vowed to never again let it become apparent that he truly felt that way.

James took a moment to look around at Will's lofty cabin. One day, all of this would be his. He did not anticipate or relish the promotion, however—his being Captain of the _Dutchman_ would mean that Elizabeth would have died, which was a harrowing thought. But he would take on the job. He knew he was up for the task, he enjoyed having power and status, and he would no longer be alone. He would sail for as long as Rose would have him.

The slam of the cabin door drew him from his thoughts and he concernedly walked around the wall to see who had so hastily arrived. He smiled when he first saw that it was his fiancee who had caused the commotion, especially when he noticed how beautifully she had been made up for their wedding that evening. Her hair was twisted in elaborate braids, and she wore a lavender dress he had never seen before. But his joy plummeted when he saw her rapidly pacing, her hands cupped over her mouth and nose. There was something incredibly worrisome on her mind, enough for her to storm Will's cabin. James, having built up so much anticipation upon this day, could only imagine the worst: She no longer wished to marry him. This had been a ruse the whole time. It was over.

"Um…" he said, walking cautiously towards her. "Rose?"

She looked up at him in alarm and rushed towards him, her eyes as wide as saucers.

He took her hands in his and tried to keep his voice level as he said with anxiety, "You do know how much bad luck it is for us to be meeting before the wedding, don't you?"

She grimaced. "It is?"

"Yes."

She gave a breathy laugh. "I didn't know. I've never done this before." Her eyes then grew distant, although her mouth remained upturned in a smile.

"…Rose?" he asked again. The silence almost too much to bear.

She shook herself back to reality. "Apologies," she said again with a laugh. "It's just…I can't…" Her voice trailed off as she held his hands tighter.

"Love, why are you here?"

Rose bit her lip, eyes smiling. "You're the dead man!"

James frowned. "Rude, but…alright."

"No," she replied, leading him towards a bench where they sat together. "I mean, it's all coming true! You remember what I told you of Calypso?"

"Aye…" he cautiously replied, still bewildered.

She put her hands on his shoulders. "She told me a great many things that have all come to pass. That I wouldn't go aboard the _Pearl_ until the tides turned, which meant not until the missing medallion called to her crew. That I had to find Jack and keep him safe. That I would find the one who I searched for and lost; my father. That I would get more power than any man could have, and that the seas would bow to me. These all came true, but one that I never thought was fulfilled and eventually gave up on altogether was the prophecy about the dead man."

James smiled again as he listened to her story, finally all putting it together. She continued, "Tia at first told me that 'he who has much heartbreak' would be my husband, and that he would be dead. Well, at this point I didn't even know you existed, and naturally, I assumed that the 'dead man,' would be…"

"Ben," James finished. "The Curse had made him undead."

Rose looked at him squarely in the eyes, "But then he was killed for good on the island of the Pelegostos, his body ravaged and never to be returned. When I confronted Tia about this, she told me that it wasn't him. She said that I wouldn't be in love with you at the time of your death, which utterly confused me, but also that I would be 'broken,' when you died."

James gave a bittersweet smile. "Because you were disappointed that you didn't get to kill me yourself, that is."

Rose lowered her head in embarrassment as she laughed, "Just as she said, I wasn't in love with you then!" She took a moment before she looked back up at him. "So, that's what I needed to say to you. You're my destiny after all. You're the dead man."

He snorted. "And here I was thinking that you had arrived to deliver bad news."

"Never! That would be awful."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, "Just don't go running off with a blacksmith, alright?"

She leaned in closer to him. "I make no promises," she whispered.

He pursed his lips. "Very funny. Now will you please leave? I mean that in the best way possible."

She drew back from him, standing. "You really think my being here is unlucky, don't you?"

He stood. "Well…best not to risk it?"

She grinned and threw her arms around his neck. "We make our own luck from now on," she declared, drawing her face close to his. He readied himself for her kiss, but just before their lips were able to touch, she pulled away and rushed to the door, teasing him. She called over her shoulder as she left the room, "Best hop-to, Norrington. Like time and tide, I wait for no man!"

After the door shut with a firm click, he chuckled to himself, "'More power than any man can possess,' indeed." He then turned to give one final, skeptical glance at his appearance in the mirror, and then started for the door when something occurred to him. He backed up and went straight to the starboard window of Will's quarters. He forced it open on its rusted hinge so that he could look into the frothy ocean waters below.

He leaned his head out the window and said softly, "I never met you, and I'll never know if this was your plan but…thank you for her. Thank you for this." Satisfied with his one and only comment to Calypso, he closed the window and then made his way to the main deck to marry his destiny.


	90. Chapter 23 - They Do Tell Tales

Weeks had passed, and a newfound sense of authority suited James well. He had spent the morning prepping the ship for a voyage to Earth, where he led a team to clean up the wreckage of a reef sinking in Indonesia and ferry the resulting lost souls. Then, he corroborated with Will that his plans for the rest of the day could be executed. Once this was solidified, he walked from the main deck down the corridor to the room he shared with his wife.

He opened the door gingerly, peering inside, finding her sitting cross legged in her hammock, pouring over several large books she had balanced in her lap that she had retrieved from a recent visit to her old storeroom on Shipwreck.

"Rose?" he asked.

She looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh good!" she exclaimed, scooping up as many books as her arms could carry and leaping out of the hammock to rush to their bed. This action knocked several over and onto the ground as she did, but she was too impassioned to notice. "Come! I have to show you something!" she cried.

James grinned in amusement, stopping to pick up the strewn volumes she had dropped before sitting by her side, wrapping his arms around her from behind as he peered around at the hasty scribblings she had made on several pieces of parchment.

"I've been looking into our situation," she began, running her finger along one of the pages of these hefty books, "And I've been pondering how we can be freed in the future, if at all, despite us having plenty of time to sort it all out."

"Found anything?" he asked.

She turned to him, smiling widely. "Yes actually!" Picking up one of her books, she flipped through it wildly. "So we can assume that Calypso is not going to undo her bestowal of her powers unto me, aye? Even if she _did_ know how to do it, and having known the woman for years, I am positively certain that she does, why would she?"

"It makes her vulnerable to being bound on Earth again, yes," James reasoned.

"Precisely. So we need to go over her head. Where do you reckon Calypso got _her_ powers from?"

James furrowed his brow. "Well…I was raised to consider all of these… _things_ to be paganist and false, so I'm not overly familiar with the history of it all, but I would assume… _her_. Seeing as she's a god herself."

She looked back at him. "Aye, at face value. But there was a time without Calypso. She is Poseidon's daughter."

James raised his eyebrows at this. "So we must confer with Poseidon, then?"

"Not so easy to confer with a god, I'm afraid," she said. "However, according to several written accounts over the past century really, stories and myths have emerged that his all-powerful trident has been left somewhere on Earth.

James considered this. "So we find the trident, _then_ confer with Poseidon once we use it as leverage?"

"Or," suggested Rose, "We use it ourselves. Imagine the power it must possess!"

"Any idea as to its whereabouts?"

"Sadly, no," Rose admitted. "That'll take some work yet. Astronomer Galileo Galilei tried charting it, and I happened upon his notebook. Only since have I discovered that the two are connected, and sadly I gave it away to Barbossa."

James raised his eyebrows. "Really? What a terrible waste. Any chance of us getting it back?"

"Doubtful," Rose sighed. "However, hope might not all be lost. He gave it as a gift, but to who I do not know. Here's hoping that whoever has it now uses it to the utmost."

"Indeed," he agreed. Then, with great interest, he asked, "Do you think the trident can reverse your situation?"

"Not only for me," she said, shaking her head. "James, I think this trident has the power to free _all_ of us, including Will."

His head was spinning with this new information, as it was a lot to take in. She _did_ have an excellent point though. If this trident could be procured, it might be the solution to all of their problems. He turned to her, looking at her from the corner of his eyes and smirking. "If I didn't know better," he stated, "I'd say you were trying to usurp my role as a Captain."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But you _do_ know better, and realize that I'm trying to usurp your being _dead._ "

"And what of you?" he asked, leaning forward and touching his forehead with hers. "Would you _really_ want to give up your powers, now that you've mastered them?"

"Of course," she murmured. "I'm powerful with or without them. I just want happiness, whatever that means. Whether it means Captain Norrington or no."

He gave a small smile. "Well, that's _all_ I will be for now, so until we locate this supposed trident, that's all we can do. I _do_ find the notion intriguing, however." He then pulled back, saying, "But first, it's time to go."

Her expression fell, and suddenly she grew very reluctant. "Must we?" she complained.

"We've been through this, and yes, we must. I've just come from Turner, and he approved of our voyage."

Rose only groaned and rolled toward the wall in response. James shook her shoulder gently. "We have to go!" he insisted gently.

"Mrrrrrrrrr..."

"Rose!"

"We don't HAVE to..." Rose said, voice muffled in her sheets.

"Yes we do," he said firmly. "We've got until sunset, love. In that time we need to find Jack, which you and I both know will not be an easy task."

She turned over and looked up at her husband. "We really don't," she protested.

"Rose..."

"I mean it! Your family doesn't have to know, so why does mine?"

"First of all," said he, grabbing her arm and yanking her slowly up into a sitting position, "It would be a bit hard to explain to my parents that I am undead, and secondly, I highly doubt they would approve of you."

She knew deep down that he was right. Now that James was staying with Rose for perhaps an eternity, she had to tell her most beloved member of her family about her new husband, even though she dreaded just the thought of it. Still, she grumbled, "I'm not sure what you're expecting from Jack. You honestly think he'd approve of _you_?"

"I don't care," James retorted. "You still have ties to your family. He deserves to know."

"Can't I just tell him on my own then? Seeing you with me...especially with Jack—"

James leaned over her and said softly, "I'm going. That's that."

She finally conceded with an exasperated sigh, tying back her hair with a bandana and putting her boots on. Together, they stood, ready to meld into the wall and transport to…wherever Jack was.

"Location?" James asked her.

She shrugged. "The _Pearl?_ Given that he's freed it from that bottle?"

James rolled his eyes. "If he hasn't figured out a way to free the _Pearl_ yet, there's a bigger problem."

Without another word, they both visualized the _Pearl_ and transformed to that vessel through their own. They both simultaneously arrived on the ever-familiar black deck of the ship, but were immediately taken aback by their surroundings. The ship was completely still and the atmosphere was stiflingly hot and stuffy, and the sky was oddly reflective. They were most definitely on the _Pearl,_ but they were also most definitely on the _Pearl inside_ the bottle.

James and Rose exchanged a perturbed glance. "Well," James said in monotone, "It would appear that there is indeed a bigger problem."

Just then, Rose started when Jack the monkey landed on her shoulder with a screech. "Oh my god!" she cried, putting a hand over her pounding heart. She then turned and patted his head, as the poor thing clearly remembered her and was starved for affection. "Well now at least we know what happened to _you,"_ she cooed. "Barbossa will be missing you dearly, no doubt." He then screeched out again and leapt off her shoulder, skittering across the deck into an unseen nook of the ship.

She then looked up, squinting past the glass enclosure. "Do you see that?" she asked James. "I'm fairly certain that we're inside _another_ vessel."

His eyes searched the sky above him, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that would distinguish this other ship and allow for their transformation to it and out of the bottle. Finally, he said with certainty, "I've got a visual, grab onto me."

Rose instantly grabbed hold of his arm, and they backed up into the _Pearl'_ s starboard railing, coming out the other side onto the new ship. Sure enough, James's visualization was enough to get them there, as they found themselves in the Captain's quarters of an entirely new ship, where the _Black Pearl_ bottle was sitting motionless on a desk. The couple immediately unsheathed their weapons and stood back to back, uncertain of if they were alone. Once they were sure that no one was within, James and Rose began to search the room. Where was Jack, and why did this foreign ship have the _Pearl?_

Rose walked towards the desk, examining the papers sprawled all over the top of it and underneath the bottle. The words were in a strange language Rose could not make out. "James," she called, motioning him over to her side. "What's this?"

"A Scandinavian language of some sort," he replied, examining it closely. "Norwegian, I'd warrant."

"I would have said that the ship is docked, but I can feel it moving," she said in confusion. "Do you reckon we're alone?"

"Doubtful if we're in motion," he replied. "Perhaps they're undermanned. Shall we go out on deck and ask politely where Jack might be?"

Suddenly, they heard gunfire and shouting out on deck. They exchanged a glance, knowing instantly that not only were they not alone, but the ship was _definitely_ not undermanned.

James tried again. "Shall we go out on deck and exercise force, _then_ ask politely where Jack might be?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, let's."

They immediately burst out of the doors and leapt straight into battle. Sure enough, they were met by about a dozen confused Norwegian sailors traversing the Atlantic, who immediately turned their swords and rifles on James and Rose. They tagged-teamed and coordinated their fighting, which was really the only way the two stood a prayer of besting them. Despite their efforts and inability to die, however, Rose knew that this was going to take too long, and she had neither the time nor energy to keep this up. She stopped fighting, raising her arm instead and summoning up a giant swirl of seawater to surround the ship. Then, using that swirl, she used both hands and turned them in towards her quickly to make twelve sharp streams of water to graze each man upside the head. The force of this blast made them all fall together at once, rendering them temporarily unconscious.

James turned around, eyebrows raised. "Really?"

She shrugged. "There was a problem, I saw a solution! Simple as that!"

He crossed his arms. "And now that all of them are completely unconscious, how do figure we interrogate them, mm?"

Rose hadn't considered this. "Oh," she said demurely.

James chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Stay here and blast them again if they come to before I come back with enough rope to tie them to the mast. Then we'll wait."

She obeyed, and after James had gone below, she paused, finally having enough time to look around at her surroundings. It was a bright, cloudless day on the water, and everything was generally quite peaceful. Rose nearly leapt out of her skin, however, when someone leapt seemingly out of the sky and landed nearby her. She immediately poised herself for attack, but who should she find at the other end of her cutlass but her half-brother.

Jack too looked rather surprised to see her. "Aah!" he cried sharply. "I forgot you can show up anywhere now. Quite good timing I must say!"

Rose rolled her eyes but laughed, placing a hand on her chest in relief. She smiled and embraced him. "And aren't we all the better for it?" she said. She then pulled back, brow furrowed. "So _that's_ who they were shooting at. You were up in the sails?"

Jack squinched up his nose. "Eh. More or less."

"Your ship's in that room back there, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware," he said, lips pursed. "Got separated from me crew back in Hispanola."

"How?" Rose asked, intrigued.

"Long story," he replied. "All I'll say is that it involved the search for a crossbow, an hourglass, three goats and a trumpet, and it _really_ didn't go at all according to plan. And somehow I ended up here," he sneered, motioning to the vessel with flailing arms. He then looked down at the twelve slumbering bodies of the crew. "Quite a display, I must say!" he said her with a gold-toothed grin. "Very nice work with your…Calypso…watery…things."

She smirked. "Thank you. I've been practicing."

"Clearly," he replied. "What brings you here on such a day as today, though? Running away from Turner so soon?" He then puffed up his chest. "Not nearly as magnificent a leader as I, hmm?"

Rose laughed, but her smile soon faded with the fear of what was about to come. "Actually," she said somberly, "I don't come alone."

Jack nodded. "Ah yes, the other bloke you're with." Suddenly, he froze, eyes wide. "It's not Will, is he? Because if it is, and he's suddenly standing right behind me, I didn't mean _any_ of that!"

"No," Rose reassured him. "But…promise me that you won't be upset."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Just promise!"

"Fine, alright! But what's going on?"

Just then, James returned with his arms full of rope, entering from behind where Jack stood. Only Rose could see him and his bemused expression upon discovering that Jack was right there.

Jack, however, followed her concerned gaze and spun around to find James there. "For God's sake, man!" Jack said with utter exasperation. "Why won't you just leave me alone? Every time I think I'm rid of you, you then somehow pop up out of the blue once again!"

James gave him a moment to rant, then remarked, "Are you finished?"

"No!" Jack cried out like a cranky infant. "However, while you're just standing around, make yourself useful and tie up these sailors and set them adrift in that longboat over there."

James narrowed his eyes, challenging him as he sauntered towards Jack confidently. "Sorry, Sparrow," he said smugly. "I don't think I will. I'm not your deckhand anymore." He then promptly shoved the rope into Jack's hands.

"James," Rose pleaded. "Come, we'll do it together." When James still looked skeptical, she begged, "Please?"

"Yes, James, pretty please?" Jack mocked.

"Jack…" she said warningly.

Despite both men wearing a begrudging expression, they obeyed her orders. While she readied the longboat and loaded it with enough provisions to last them a few days, they tied up and loaded the men inside. Then, altogether, they lowered them down into the water and Rose sent a westerly wave to guide them towards the nearest harbor.

Once this was completed and the three were alone, Rose and James exchanged another uneasy glance.

"Jack," she began, swallowing her fear. "I'm afraid that we…well, we come here for…other purposes."

Jack's eyes darted in alarm between them. "Dear god," he said, "The last time a vision from the past visited me from the _Dutchman,_ it was to warn me that a terrible beastie was set upon me. Now there are _two_ of you here," He suddenly jerked his head around, looking all around him, then muttering to them, "…Will hasn't befriended any giant seahorses lately, has he?"

Rose opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, struggling to find the right words. Finally, she decided upon, "No. It's worse, I'm afraid."

Jack looked horrified. "Lobsters?"

"No!" she cried, rolling her eyes. "Jack, I brought James here because…well… I'm here because you don't know the relationship between _us._ "

Jack's face fell once he started to understand her meaning. "No," he said quietly. Then, more emphatically, he exclaimed, "No! This is a dream, isn't it? You're not really here!"

"Please don't get upset," Rose pleaded. "You promised!"

Jack began pinching his arm. "Nope," he said. "A dream. That's what this is. A horrible, horrible dream."

"Jack, stop that!" Rose cried, taking his hands in hers. "We met some time ago, and—"

"Some time ago? _Infancy_ is some time ago! Briefly on Tortuga is _not_ some time ago! _"_

"No, no! We met again after Singapore!"

Jack finally realized. "I _knew_ it! _This_ is the bloke that saved you? You said it was just some officer! Some officer indeed, who apparently is back to being a pirate from the looks of him!"

James said in monotone, "I'm dead, Jack."

"Well not dead enough! You're here telling me that you wish to court my younger sister, and not in some grave where dead people belong!"

James and Rose exchanged a guilty glance, to which Jack groaned, "Oh dear Lord, what does _that_ mean?"

"Well," Rose whimpered. "We're um…"

"Married!" James finally cried triumphantly, pulling his wife into a sudden kiss.

Rose quickly pulled away, embarrassed and dared look at Jack's expression, which has been since described to me by Rose as "a mixture of horror and immense pain."

"This is a joke, isn't it?" Jack said finally, coming to. "Ha ha!" he laughed. "You two certainly got me! Very funny!"

James grabbed Rose's waist and pulled her up against him. "No joke, brother-in-law," he grinned boastfully, holding up his left hand. "We even have rings to prove it."

Jack began to hyperventilate, his words coming out in staggered breaths. "You…married…you…him…you two… _I'll kill you!"_

"Whoa now!" Rose cried, stepping in between Jack and James, pushing against Jack as he tried to wildly attack her undead husband.

"You did it just to get the better of me, didn't you?" Jack yelled.

"Believe it or not, Sparrow, I can feel affection, and it just so happens that your sister holds mine!"

"And you felt this starting when? Singapore? After or _during_ Elizabeth?"

James fumed, "You really just can't stand it that I'm taking one of your things, can you? Well how does it feel, after all the things you've taken from _me_?"

"I didn't take yer sister, mate! That's too far!"

"Well I didn't take your _life,_ although I really should have!"

"I let you on my ship, you bloody moron!"

"Who set Rose free?" James asked rhetorically. "Who set Elizabeth free? Without them you would have been back in the Locker where you probably belong!"

"James!" Rose exclaimed. "Stop it!"

"I saw you though!" Jack added. "Back on Tortuga. You bloody bought Rose in that bride auction. You _hated_ her!"

"And she hated me for years! People change," said James.

"Well _I_ certainly don't!"

"Jack, please!" Rose said sharply.

"No!" he protested. "This is too much! You've married without my blessing knowing full well that I wouldn't give it to you!"

James rolled his eyes. "We needed your _father's_ blessing, although we all know how highly you think of yourself."

Jack glared at James. "And did you get that blessing from good ol' Dad, Norrie?"

James grinned. "We did, actually."

Jack only laughed. "Of _course!_ Teague probably LOVED you! The two of you are thick as thieves!"

"Jack," Rose pled again. "Please can we just stop?"

"Yes we can, Rose," he replied. "All of this can stop." Backing away, he looked between his sister and her husband as he said, "We're done here for now! My regards to the happy couple, and good day to you both!" He spun on his hill and disappeared into the Captain's quarters.

"Jack!" called Rose in exasperation. "Please don't do this!"

"Aye," James called as well. "I always thought you were, 'rooting for me all along!' What on earth changed?"

Jack audibly winced from inside the room upon hearing James's witty remark before slamming the door behind him.

"James!" Rose cried, slapping him in the arm. "Enough! Was _this_ the reason why you wanted to come here today? To antagonize him?"

James considered this for a moment, then said, "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a _large_ part of why I wanted to come here, yes."

She gave him a warning look. "Stay here," she said gently. James began to protest, but she silenced him with a glare. "Please! You really aren't helping things."

James pursed his lips. "You're certain?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am quite capable of walking to and from a room!"

"I honestly thought he would react better," James muttered.

"Well, you've got my father's approval, and we're clearly never getting yours. That's about as much as you can expect, unfortunately," Rose sighed. "Now let me go! I'll be along soon!"

Leaving James behind, Rose went to go find her brother. She found him sitting in the Captain's chair, staring angrily at her.

"What?" Rose said firmly.

"You know perfectly well what," Jack spat. "You are dead to me."

Rose came around the desk and sat on the arm of his chair. "Good thing I'm immortal, then," she joked.

Jack only stared at her. "Him? You picked him?! What could he possibly offer you?"

Rose smiled, thinking of her husband. "Love. Love in spite of loss."

"And you think he...loves you?" Jack said, gagging at the thought of his old enemy in love with his younger sister.

"I _know_ ," she replied with certainty.

Jack huffed, "Any man! You could have any man on that ship and you pick the one who hates me!" He sighed, and after a moment, finally gave up his battle. "And you're...happy?"

"I promise," she grinned. "And you? Are you happy?"

He pondered this, then settled on, "I got everything I need, love."

"Everything save the _Pearl_..."

Jack leaned down looked down at the bottle on the table which still housed his beloved ship. "I'll figure it out someday," he mused.

They peered into it together.

"Why is it everyone I know seems to have achieved eternal life before I did?" Jack suddenly complained. "Turners big and small, you, even bloody Norrington!

Rose chuckled. "There are other ways and you know that."

"It continues to evade me," he said skeptically.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to Rose. "Here's one for you," she said. "…The trident of Poseidon."

Jack raised his eyebrows in interest and leaned closer towards her in interest.

"I'm hunting for it to reverse the Jones curse altogether," she said. "It's bound to have unspeakable powers, one of which _might_ include eternal life."

Jack's eyes lit up. "…I like the sound of that…"

"Start your search then," she encouraged.

"Have you told Will yet?" Jack asked.

"I've just barely figured it all out myself! I want to sort out a few more details before I bother him with it, but it's sure to be of interest to him. This may take awhile, however. Years, in fact. If you find it, you simply _must_ share it with us."

Jack gave a sly, sideways grin. "How about first to the finish, eh?"

Rose gasped in faux outrage. "Is that how you treat your little sister?"

Jack smirked. "Pirate."

"So be it, Sparrow," she replied, standing and extending her hand out to him. "First to the finish."

He too stood and shook her hand. "Then I shall see you there, Mrs. Norrington."

"Oh hush," she silenced him. "You know as well as anyone that I'll forever be a Hexfury. The _only_ Hexfury."

Together, they walked back out to the main deck where James was waiting for them.

"I took the liberty of setting you out on a Southward course," James said arrogantly to Jack. "You're welcome."

"Sorry, I wasn't listening," Jack spat in response. "My head was reeling at seeing you without your trademark wig."

James looked over at Rose, lips pursed. She just laughed and shook her head, then crossed to his side.

Jack regarding the couple, still clearly uncomfortable with the union. He finally conceded, however, seeing how happy Rose was, and said to James, "I trust my sister to eviscerate you with her magic water arms or whatever if you are stupid enough to hurt her, but if not, I will personally see to it that you are a dead man."

"Little late for that," James fired back.

" _Deader,_ " warned Jack.

"We'll be fine, Jack," Rose assured him. "And what of you? You're alright to sail to…wherever you're going on your own?"

He shrugged. "Eh. Probably. I always land on my feet, love."

"Keep it that way," she said with a smile. She then nodded to James, indicating that it was time for them to depart back for the _Flying Dutchman_ and the Locker. James went first, transforming back into the deck.

Rose, however, stayed behind for a moment. Looking back over her shoulder, she reached around her belt and produced the mother of pearl pendant and held it up. Jack did the same with his nearly identical pendant, a token their father had given to their mothers all those years ago. The pendant that had connected them since the beginning. The pendant that started it all.

Rose knew that she would see Jack again, especially if the trident was in his future. But leaving him would always pain her, remnants from past dreams she had had as a child of sailing the seas with him forever. She _would_ sail the seas forever, just not with him. Her dreams had changed, as had his. Life moved on, and death moved right along with it. Their paths were intwined, but hers and James had been joined.

And for an eternity, if need be, would they stay that way.


	91. Epilogue, Part 3

Rose hadn't had a nightmare in ages. She was no longer haunted by darkness at night in any way. Her sleep was dreamless and peaceful.

She woke up from one of these restful nights, already hearing the sound of waves lapping the sides of the ship and the creaking floorboards above her balancing the weight of the crisscrossing paths of the men.

She stretched across her bed and adjusted herself cautiously. James was next to her, already awake. He turned to her when he noticed that she too had awakened.

"Been up long?" she asked.

Her heart stirred at the loving way in which he looked at her. "Sadly, yes," he mumbled.

She inched closer to his side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they together stared at the ceiling as if they could see straight through it.

"Morning or night?" she asked suddenly, which had become their code for, _Have we awakened on Earth or in the Locker?_

Cannon fire answered her, and they both jumped. From the lack of vibrations on _The Dutchmen,_ they both instantly knew that they had not fired—someone was shooting at them _._ They exchanged a knowing look, and James leapt up and hastily put on his shirt.

"I'm going to take a stab at it and guess night," James's muffled voice said underneath the fabric. Rose sat up and grabbed his jacket, holding it out to him so that he could easily put it on.

A knock on their door delivered the message: "Master Norrington! You're needed on deck!"

Rose guided James's left arm through the sleeve. "Martin!" She cried to the man outside. "Who's firing at us?"

"A shipwreck off the Ivory Coast, madam. There seem to be a few survivors."

James turned to her. "We must have spooked them." He then called to the door himself. "I'll be right up!"

As he made a few last adjustments, Rose moved to the edge of the bed and reached for her boots.

"I'm not sure I want you out there," James said sternly.

"I can manage!" she protested. "I can turn the tides in our favor. Especially if it's as rough out there as I know it is."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm asking you to stay here for my sake. I need you safe. _You_ need you safe."

She nodded reluctantly. He was right. With his military background at the helm, no one could match their force. Her aid would make the fight _far_ easier, but was not entirely necessary.

He brushed a curl out of her eyes before he turned to go. Her eyes followed him and she watched him open the door and stop sharply.

He looked back at her. "I've been thinking. About what you asked me last night."

"And?" she said, grinning. "Let me guess…Lawrence?"

James looked taken aback. "Absolutely not! I'm not _that_ cruel!"

"Jack, then?"

James pursed his lips. "No."

She gave a faux pout. "Why not? I thought you liked Jack!"

"I _tolerate_ Jack. Never have I _liked_ it."

She smiled wryly. "This _is_ half of my decision, you know..."

He shifted impatiently, but then grew pensive. "No, on the contrary…what about Ben?"

Rose's grin got even wider, and she felt her eyes well up with tears. She knew he could see how happy his words had made her. "Not James?"

He gave a half smile and a laugh. "No. One of those poor wretches is already one too many."

"I respectfully must disagree," she murmured.

After a moment shared between the two of them, James straightened his posture and replied in his typical haughty way, "All I'm saying is, my choice is Ben."

She warmly smiled. "I like that."

He nodded, giving her another gaze that lingered.

Another cannon blast.

"Back in a moment," he said, closing the door behind him.

Alone, she took the time to examine her surroundings. She was sitting in a rich, colorful room ornamented in fineries from other people's stories. She was sitting in a bed still warm from the love of her life. She once was a motherless gypsy with a crippling disability, exiled from her country and separated from her clan. By fate, she crossed paths with her half-brother, and thereby found her father, a pirate in every sense of the word. She grew up on the tail end of society, living amongst men who were scalawags and brutes. She found a childhood love and discovered a life on the seas, meeting a kind father figure in Bootstrap and a constant challenge to her ego in Barbossa. Jack became her confidante, her effervescent hope for adventure and vibrancy in a life where half her world was shrouded in darkness. She found a life she never thought she would live with the sea goddess Calypso, disguised as the ever-entrancing Tia Dalma. Her urge to better herself and never give up was fueled by Angelica, a constant source of competition. Her childhood love returned into her life as little more than a stranger, but led her to the salvation she sought in her brother. Ben left her hopeless, but stronger. Healing Barbossa taught her forgiveness and patience. Jack's demise was the ultimate test of her strength, which she would have failed were it not for James. His sacrifice blew wind into her sails, and taught her to move on, dream again, and find her father. Calypso entrusted her with her powers, which forever marked her as her heir. Suddenly, responsibility to Will, Elizabeth, Henry, and an entire town fell to her shoulders, as she found herself the soothsayer herself. Her guidance was coveted, revered, _necessary_. Life outwore its usefulness though, and she was finally freed. She was where she belonged—a gypsy of the seas, with the ocean waters in her control, alongside the company she kept, hand in hand with the man she truly belonged with whom she would endure and carry out the duties of Jones's curse together. Her life had always been manipulated by the needs and wants of others, and for the first time in her life, she had all the power in the world.

She grabbed her coat and flung it over her shoulders, tying her hair back with a bandana. Generally, when James concerned himself with giving her orders, Rose learned that it was always better to do the opposite of what he said. He told her to stay out of danger, but she was deciding to carve her own path this time. There were plenty of ways that she could avoid danger while still helping.

She stood slowly, anticipating the strain on her lower back before she actually felt it. She placed a hand over her stomach, feeling the gentle rising and falling of the tiny being inside of her.

Being an immortal among the undead was still something she needed to get used to. It was still so full of mysteries she had yet to uncover. But she felt a sense of comfort in knowing that great beauty and joy could still be born out of death. That had been represented throughout her entire _life._

James wanted the name Ben. She agreed that it was a good name from a good source, but she found herself rather thinking that she was carrying a daughter.

And if she was, she would name her...Anna.

* * *

Thus marks the end of my written ledger about the legend of Rose Hexfury, heir to the sea goddess Calypso and commander of the seas, daughter of Captain Edward Teague, half-sister to the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, wife to the potential future Captain James Norrington, and mother to me. This is where her story ends, and where my story begins.

— Anna Jaqueline Norrington


	92. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Thank you so so SO much for reading and reviewing this story of mine! As I've stated before, this project began before I even knew what fan fiction _was,_ when I was just feeling really inspired by _At World's End_ and wanted to write a new character who was present throughout the franchise, but never seen. My, how far the story has come since then, and I can't believe a decade-long project has come to a close.

I was in such a rush to complete it because I was so concerned that _Dead Men Tell No Tales_ will throw off the chronology of this fic. This is particularly in regards to the end of Part 3, seeing as we're getting Will Turner and _The Dutchman_ back in the storyline.

I apologize for upcoming notifications, as now I want to launch into edits. There's a few things I got wrong in the canon, as well as glaring typos and it's bothering me. So just ignore me for a bit!

There IS a slight possibility that _Dead Men Tell No Tales_ won't mess up _The Legend of Rose Hexfury,_ seeing as I end the fic about eleven to fourteen years before the events of _DMTNT,_ but depending on how Will's curse gets broken _if_ it gets broken (which…c'mon. You know it will!). If that is the case, I have devised a few continuation chapters that could include the new film's plot and Salazar, and would be told from Anna Norrington's first person perspective, as she would be about thirteen when the events of _DMTNT_ occur.

Of course, this is all dependent upon how well my fic lines up with the new movie. Let me know if these continuation chapters would be of interest to you! If not, I do not mind at all ending it right here!

 **UPDATE: SPOILER-FREE. Now that I've had a chance to see _Dead Men Tell No Tales,_ itdid mess with the chronology of this story a bit, but overall didn't completely render it null. My Barbossa-related prediction was correct, though the timeline of _On Stranger Tides_ was revealed to occur much later on than I placed it. Getting Will Turner and _The Dutchman_ back into the narrative and what ultimately happens to Will messes with what I've built quite a deal more, as it directly impacts Rose and James's finale as well. I might go back and edit these things, or I might just keep it the way I intended it to be. I have yet to decide. **

* * *

**Special Thanks:**

Thanks to Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert, and Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriters who built such a wonderful world for me to play with, as well as everyone involved in the creative teams of the films and the Imagineers who designed the original 1967 Disneyland attraction. I thank Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma, and Jack Davenport as James Norrington for creating such rich characters. I relished trying to write in their voices.

For Jack, Teague, and James's backstories, I must credit Robb Kidd, who did an amazing job with his _Jack Sparrow_ and _Brethren Court_ series. Also to Michael Singer, who thoroughly documented the entire production of the franchise in both of his books Bring Me That Horizon and Disney Pirates: The Collector's Anthology.

As an excellent source for Pirates fact-checking, the POTC wikia proved indispensable, and special shoutout to Fialeja for her lyrics to Calypso's locket.

Most importantly, thanks to my friend, CS for making me post this saga online. I was just going to print it out and stick it in a shoebox and forget about it, but it is so much more fulfilling to have it get read.

And finally, last but not least, thanks to and all of you for reading and following along!

 **\- JJJ**


	93. The Anna Diaries - A Letter

TO: C.  
FROM: A.

Hello, my sweet. I hope that the following pages, which for the moment, I have entitled _The Anna Diaries,_ find their way to you, wherever you might be sailing. I wanted to send them to you first before anyone else for two main reasons; First, that they are the first pages I have penned as a collective story in sequence, and I want them read by someone I trust before I embark on my next project. What is this project, you might ask, as the last time we exchanged letters, I was still rather undecided on the whole matter. Well, I am pleased to finally tell you exactly what I intend to write; I call it, _The Legend of Rose Hexfury._ In my travels and research, there is much known about Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner and James Norrington…but nothing of her. So I will be the one to record her unwritten history. Before that time, however, I wanted to ensure that I could at the very least write my own stories down coherently from my memories before I try to record detailed histories that I was not present for and absolutely _must_ get right.

The second reason is for you, love. When times are dark, and they inevitably will be, I want you to know who we _are,_ where we came from. You are so fortunate to be living the life you find yourself in, though at times you will undoubtedly call this into question. Just know that for every lightless day, someone else's day could be darker. Just as I now am setting out to uncover details about the world before I was born, these are the details of the world before _you_ were born. We underwent much hardship, yet found a way out of it. I thank the heavens that you will never have to know the childhood that I lived, but I also don't rue it entirely, for it formed who I ultimately became.

I suppose what I am trying to say is to read these pages, know my story, and perhaps use some of the lessons I had to learn to aid you along in your own fight for what you want most. I can't wait to see the story that your life will write.

Be strong, be smart, and be good. Godwilling, you will find yourself in England with me in the coming years. Things are moving along swimmingly here, and with just a bit more time, we'll be ready for you.

Enjoy _The Anna Diaries,_ and please, do write soon.  
\- A.


	94. The Anna Diaries - 1 - Thirteen

To celebrate my thirteenth year, my mother, Rose Hexfury, presented me with a diary. Its width was the length of my hand, from wrist to fingertip, and it had a binding made of Italian leather that was soft to the touch, with a darker piece of leather that served as a strap binding the covers shut when not in use. Within its pages, I kept a detailed account of my daily life, be it the most mundane daily tasks or the wildest situations that I found myself in. I've always had a penchant for history, so I took the task of keeping a diary very seriously as though I was recording the travels of a famous explorer. For three years I kept these writings alive, and when one diary was full, I began another. I was the hero of my own journey, a woman of status whose scribblings would later be preserved and treasured by scholars for generations, I figured. Only now that a significant amount of time has past since filling theses journals do I realize how juvenile these aspirations were. It was a selfish ambition to think that my story would be more important than other famous pirates of the Caribbean I have been fortunate enough to be aligned with.

However, I do still consider the stories I recorded in those diaries important, especially as they detailed the years surrounding the epic fight that would test my family to the utmost; We were separated, cursed, chased, hunted, and stretched to each of our limits. These years redefined the idea of "family," for me, and I know that living through them altered who I ultimately became.

For months now, I have poured over these diaries, looking over my chronological accounts, binding them together into one story, and adding in details in retrospect that could not have been known to me at the time of their writing but I have since come to uncover.

Without further ado, I present to you _The Anna Diaries._

\- Anna J. Norrington

* * *

" _April 23, 1765,"_ I penned excitedly using a quill and ink into the new pages of my diary. Although now gone from years of wear and weathering, I can still remember how those freshly-pressed pages smelled when I first started writing within them. I breathed in the aroma and began scribbling as many details about myself as I could as a sort of introduction. I was laying across my bed on my stomach, my feet swinging lazily from the knees as I held them above me.

Although Mother had given me the diary as my birthday gift mere hours ago, I was wasting no time at all in beginning my writings, and I learned that day just how quickly time can pass when one is fully immersed in their work. I heard the crossed and haphazardly constructed floorboards of our abode creak with the weight of my Mother as I heard her call out to me from above, "Anna!"

"What?" I yelled back, eyes refusing to wander from the page as I listed off physical details about myself. _Skin: Brown, Hair: Brown, Eyes…_

"Don't 'what' me, mademoiselle!" she scolded. "Come up here! They'll be arriving at any moment now."

I let out a huff of exasperation, reluctant to stray from my new passion. I quickly finished the line, _Eyes: Green,_ replaced the cap on my ink, and put the quill and diary away. I left my room and crossed the narrow hallway to the stairs, being careful to avoid the jutting beam at the foot of the steps that had conked the heads of many a visitor to the Brethren meeting room before. I skipped up the steps, brushing my hand along the wooden globe, causing it and its many nicks from years of being stabbed by the nine Brethren Court Pirate Lords to spin wildly. I slowed only upon seeing the candles of the chandeliers lit and three dining places set at the grand meeting table.

My mother, Rose Hexfury, crossed into the room from the back with enough dishes to set a fourth place. "You would have spent the whole night in that room had I not called you up!"

I grinned sheepishly. "I suppose I got a tad carried away."

She raised an eyebrow, saying sarcastically, "Oh, do you think so?" Placing the final plate down on the table, she put her hands on her hips and looked to me. "I hope pork will suffice."

I came closer, leaning up against one of the chair backs. "Certainly!" I replied. I then furrowed my brow and counted out the place settings. "How many are we expecting tonight?"

"Well, seeing as I see four chairs, four plates, and four mugs, I would have to say… _four,_ " she replied humorously.

I tried to not reveal my disappointment as I said, "No Grandfather?"

"I'm sorry, love," Mother said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "If he was in the area, you know he would make the effort to come back."

I nodded in understanding. Mother's father, Edward Teague, who once resided within the Cove we now lived in, was the Keeper of the Pirate Code when the Brethren Court was still a ruling body over the seas before the War on Piracy, and now traversed the world in his ship, the _Misty Lady._ He would occasionally stop by to visit, bringing with him many souvenirs and stories from his adventures. I had hoped to see him on my birthday, but I knew well that a life at sea meant uncertain conditions for an expected return. "It's alright," I replied. "This will be a joyous night nonetheless."

Mother grinned. "I hope so." Her expression then changed as she said, "There's a few things I would like to discuss with you before the others arrive. Would you please take a chair?"

I did so, inwardly fearing some serious discussion or scolding for any various chore in Mother's storeroom below that I might have rushed through or carried out improperly. She must have seen my hesitancy, for she continued with, "All good news, I assure you. _And_ a present!"

"Another one?" I asked. "But the diary…"

"—Was from me!" she exclaimed, darting into her father's old quarters in the meeting room to retrieve said present. "This is from your father!"

My heart sank as she said this. I was getting a bit old for this lie, I thought. There was no possible way that this gift could be from my father. But for the past nine birthdays, this had been a tradition she had kept, and I hadn't the heart to break it to her that I knew Father had nothing to do with the presents, lest I hurt her. So I obeyed when she ordered that I close my eyes and extend my hands out towards her. I suddenly felt an object of significant weight get placed into my palms, and while my eyes were still closed, I felt the cold metal and ran my hands along the curious shape of this item.

"Good lord, just _open_ them!" Mother said impatiently, though still with a smile.

I did, and I felt my heart soar when I saw that it was a pistol. It had a dark red wooden handle, a long barrel, and shined with the light from the chandelier above us.

"It's time you start learning to defend yourself, though you _must_ be careful," she explained, taking a seat next to me. "You've seen the horrors of some gunshot wounds that enter our shop. And if you don't want that to be you, you'll take caution. And you won't shoot a thing until you've been properly trained. I've already talked it through with Elizabeth. _I_ was never much good with the blasted thing, but she was always quite the marksman. Perhaps you can discuss it with her this evening."

"Absolutely!" I cried, thoroughly enjoying the feeling having my own weapon had upon me. "Thank you!"

She shook her head, saying with a wistful grin, "Don't thank _me._ This was your father's doing."

A pang hit my stomach when she said this again. I took a moment, then corrected myself with, "Well, thank… _him._ "

Mother nodded slowly, then said, "And on that vein…" She looked over my head towards the stairway entrance to the room to ensure that we were alone, then leaned forward towards me with her voice lowered. "Would you like to join the meeting tonight?"

My mouth fell agape in awe at this request. "You mean…"

"I do," she finished. "When I was thirteen, I was taken in as Tia Dalma's apprentice and was trusted with a great many things beneath her guidance. Now you are that age as well, and I think it is high time I take on a skilled apprentice myself. You have done well with the research you have accumulated thus far, and I think you would prove a valuable asset to our meetings."

I threw my arms around her neck in a firm embrace. "Thank you!" I cried. I had grown up watching my mother take her leave late at night to go to these meetings once weekly, and I yearned to be present at them. Informal as they might be, feeling included in them made all the difference.

As I drew back from our embrace, my mother grasped me firmly by the elbows, her eyes darting from one of my eyes to the other as she looked earnestly into them. "You know what this means, however," she said. "You must be discreet."

I nodded. "I know."

"This stays between the three of us. He can never know."

"Who can never know?" another voice said behind us.

Mother and I nearly leapt out of our skin at the unseen visitor who had just entered the room. _Henry._ Mother quickly recovered, rising to her feet and sweeping over to him to place a kiss on his cheek in greeting. "Oh nothing," she lied masterfully. "Just a down-on-his-luck customer who keeps _insisting_ that he knows where the Chest is."

Henry narrowed his eyes, clearly alarmed by the mention of the chest that held his father's undead and still-beating heart within its metal confines. "How does he know of the Chest in the first place?"

Mother's lie appeared to have worked, but Henry was now causing undue alarm for something that wasn't even real. I chimed in, coming to Mother's aid, "Oh, you know how legends get around. The bloke still thinks it's Davy Jones's heart that's inside. He's a few years late to the chase."

"Still," he said, "It's a concern that he's found the island where it's hidden, don't you think?"

"No," I instantly replied. "Shipwreck Cove is one of the most formidable pirate fortresses and supply areas in the seven seas. The mystery of it is all but gone now."

"Aye," Mother replied. "I expect we'll have a few more men seeking riches in the coming years insistent upon asking questions about the Chest."

Henry pursed his lips, clearly not satisfied by this answer. "Well, if anyone becomes a bit _too_ insistent, never hesitate to retrieve me. I'll take of it."

Mother patted Henry's shoulder with a grin. "Much appreciated, my dear, but we can manage for ourselves."

Any further questioning by Henry was cut short, as just then, his mother, Elizabeth came up the stairs behind him, her dark brown hair pulled back in a single braid down her back. Upon seeing me, she crossed around her son to give me a firm embrace. "Thirteen already, Anna!" she cooed, then placing a hand alongside my cheek. "You really _must_ stop growing up so quickly."

"I'm trying my best, I assure you," I said with a laugh.

Mother chimed in, "Anna just received the present I told you about."

Elizabeth's eyes gleamed. "Go on, now, let me see it." I obeyed, fetching it from the table and bringing it back to her to inspect. "It's a good model," she said, turning it over in her hand. Looking up at me, she said, "Let me know when you would like to begin training with it."

"As soon as I can," I replied merrily.

She smiled. "Then it shall be so! Come by the lighthouse tomorrow, and we'll see what we can do. Agreed?"

"Agreed!"

She returned the gun to me, then turned to my Mother. "Need any help with dinner, Rose?"

"I do, in fact," Mother replied, ushering her towards the stairs to the storeroom where she had been preparing our meal.

I called out from behind them, "Anything I can do?" secretly hoping that the answer would be "Yes."

"No, we've got it covered," Mother called back from the stairs as she disappeared into the lower levels of the fortress. "Stay above and converse with Henry!"

I cringed. I didn't _want_ to converse with Henry. He was six years my senior and had lived on the other side of Shipwreck Island since I was four. He worked in the town and only on rare or special occasions like today would pay a visit to the fortress. We had little to nothing in common, and I always found conversations between us extremely forced and dull.

"So…a pistol, eh?" he started awkwardly.

"Aye," I replied simply, running my fingers along its shape once more. "It's my first weapon."

"Your first?" he said in disbelief. "You mean you don't have a sword?"

 _Here we go,_ I thought, knowing full well what was about to come next. "No," I replied.

Sure enough, he began his typical rant about swordsmanship. "You really _should_ learn how to handle a sword. It's a valuable skill to have. That's why I sought out the apprenticeship in the Shipwreck blacksmith shop in the first place."

"Really? And it wasn't at all because your father was a blacksmith's apprentice?" I asked, unable to resist the jab at his ego.

He stood straighter, clearly vexed by my retort. "I won't deny that he had a great deal to do with it. He used to practice three hours a day with the swords he forged, you know. So I practice for _four_ hours a day. I believe it's in my blood to be a swordsman."

 _Is it also in your blood to be a braggart?_ I stewed silently.

Henry continued his speech with something that really _did_ make my blood boil. "You could be a skilled swordsman yourself. I've heard Norrington was rather good as well."

"I wouldn't know," I snapped upon hearing him postulate about my father. He then grew silent, clearly seeing my upset. We were quiet for a time, just letting the thick silence stand stagnant around us.

Finally, he took a step towards me, wringing his hands uncertainly. "If…if I told you there was a way…" His voice trailed off.

I narrowed my eyes, uncertain of his meaning. "A way for what?"

"To reverse it," he said. "To bring them back."

I felt my heart leap at this. He was referring to our fathers. But what did he know of how to reverse their situation? None of this made any sense.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There's…" he began, but was instantly silenced upon hearing our mothers begin their ascent back up the stairs with the food. "Nothing, never mind," he said resignedly, taking a seat at the table without another word on the matter.

Soon, we would be dining together and speaking on other matters, but my head was racing, wondering what on earth Henry knew that he wasn't revealing and had possibly been concealing from the rest of us. And even bigger still was the anticipation that grew with every passing moment, as it meant that we were one second closer to my very first meeting.


	95. The Anna Diaries - 2 - Trapped

I twirled my now empty teacup around my fingers anxiously. My mother and I sat at the meeting table, which was now empty with the exception of our tea setting, waiting for the meeting to begin.

"Is—" I began to ask, before she cut me off.

"She'll be here," Mother reassured me for the easily the eighteenth time. "It takes awhile to get here, and it must always be very late at night. You know this."

"I know," I sighed impatiently. "I'm just anxious for it to begin."

"Don't fret," she said, calmly sipping her tea. "This time you are here mostly to observe, so just be patient and take it all in."

I agreed, trying my best to calm the racing of my heart. This all but failed entirely, especially when Elizabeth finally arrived.

"So sorry I'm late," she apologized, rushing towards the table. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing me. "Oh," she said, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's this?" she asked my mother.

"I'm allowing Anna to take part in our meetings," she explained, motioning for Elizabeth to take a seat at her side. "She's always been privy to what we discuss, and she has helped significantly in our search for answers. She's nearly grown now, and I think it's high time she has a say in our actions."

Elizabeth was seated, gazing at me with an uncertain look that made me feel desperate to keep my place at this table. Quickly, I blurted, "Don't worry, I won't tell Henry a thing."

"You _can't_ ," she swiftly countered in agreement. "Nothing that we say here leaves this room, understood?"

I nodded emphatically. Satisfied by my compliance, Elizabeth then turned to Mother. "Then, I trust your discretion." She then cocked her head to the side. "Upon leaving here earlier, Henry told me that you said that a man was here inquiring about the Chest? Who was this?"

Elizabeth, who had been dubbed the Pirate King nearly twenty years ago and was thereby the manager of all affairs of Shipwreck Island, was kept abreast of all developments, _especially_ those concerning her husband, Will Turner. Surely hearing this news caused her significant alarm.

"That was a lie," Mother assured her. "Henry walked in on me telling Anna that she could come to the meetings, so I had to make something up. Clearly it worked, but I unwisely chose a sensitive topic, and for that I do apologize."

"So…no one has been asking about the Chest?"

"No one besides Blackbeard, but he's been dead for years now," she said.

Elizabeth poured some tea for herself and settled into her chair. "That's a relief. I've already had to dye my hair to prevent recognition from the British once England regained its stronghold in the Caribbean. We don't need yet another fiasco on our hands."

Mother, who had been the one to dye her natural, sun-bleached golden hair a dark brown shade a few years ago, smirked, tossing her own black curls over her shoulder. " _I_ happen to think it looks nice."

Elizabeth snorted. "Of _course_ you do." She took a long sip of her tea, and then said, "I asked Jefferson to chart a route out to sea that crosses the _Bountiful_ over where the _Dutchman_ lies. He's reported as of two days ago that the _Bountiful_ is always veered off course every time he attempts the route, which means that the current still holds strong."

Mother nodded slowly. "I expected as much."

"Any developments on your end?" Elizabeth asked, looking between me and Mother.

Mother gave a small smile to me, permitting me to speak at the table. "Go on," she said encouragingly. "Say what you found out."

I took a deep breath, then nervously said, "Well, according to the confines of Calypso's original curse upon the _Dutchman,_ land is a safe haven of return once every ten years, yes?" Both women nodded. I gulped, then continued, "And if we look back at the Kraken, Uncle Jack—I mean, Jack Sparrow—"

Mother chuckled. "It's just us, Anna. You aren't being tested."

I gave a breathy laugh, then calmed myself once more. " _Jack_ was only safe from the Kraken when he was on land. Many myths and legends speak of land as a refuge from sea curses. I've found accounts from Scandinavia, Africa, one out of the Devil's triangle…"

"What she's trying to say," Mother interjected, "Is that land is at least temporary protection from evils within the ocean, it would appear. So, we figure that we will finally have answers within the month."

Elizabeth nodded. "The second Return Day." Shaking her head in disbelief, she said, "I can't believe it's already been yet another ten years."

Mother's face darkened as she cast her eyes downwards into her cup. "I can."

Elizabeth laid a hand on her forearm. "You know I didn't mean it that way. I know how tirelessly you have been working to bring them back."

I tried to encourage her as well, "Aye, and we decided years ago to wait for Return Day to provide us answers. We know that Will will be safe from whatever dangers are preventing him from telling us what is keeping them hostage once he arrives on land."

"It's just one more month," Elizabeth said, branching off of my thought. "We've waited this long, we can wait one more month."

Mother nodded after a time, then quietly said, "Let's recant all that we know so far, just to make sure that we aren't missing anything."

Elizabeth and I exchanged a glance, both knowing the tale by heart at this point. I was certain that at every minute of every day, my mother was recanting the story in her head, trying to think of any other explanation as to what happened and coming up with the same fruitless results every time. But if it made her feel better to discuss it aloud with us for what must have been the thousandth time, we would take part.

The story, with all of its many unsolved facets, went as follows:

James Norrington, my father, was an undead soul sailing with about two dozen other undead souls aboard the _Flying Dutchman,_ serving beneath the command of Captain Will Turner, Elizabeth's husband and Henry's father. My mother was at one time an apprentice to a woman named Tia Dalma, a bayou soothsayer who was later revealed to actually be the sea goddess Calypso, bound in human form by her jilted lover and previous captain of the _Dutchman,_ Davy Jones. Upon being freed by Hector Barbossa as a strategic move for the pirates to win the War on Piracy, Calypso split her powers with Rose in order to never again be bound in human form, rendering her immortal and with the ability to control the seas. When her true form was realized, she agreed to serve aboard the _Dutchman,_ finally uniting the powers of the soul ferrying Captain (now in the form of Will) and the sea goddess Calypso (Rose).

While onboard, Rose fell in love with James. They married and produced me. Though they were immortal, I was not. Thankfully, many of the rooms within the _Dutchman_ were water-resistant, thereby allowing for my survival when the ship would travel through the depths of the ocean to reach Davy Jones's Locker or return to Earth. For three years I lived with my parents aboard, until the first Return Day, as it had been dubbed by a young and eager Henry. On Return Day, which occurred once every ten years, Will could go ashore to be with Elizabeth and their son, as was the original accords of the curse laid out by Calypso to Davy Jones. Was it fair? Absolutely not. But it was the only way for Will to remaining living, and he humbly took whatever opportunity he had to be with his family, however limited.

Mother, Father and I also went ashore that day, basking in the celebration of our families finally being united. Though I cannot remember it, it was spoken of as a joyous time, especially as it was the first memory Henry had of meeting his father. When sunset called us back to the _Dutchman_ for another ten year-long engagement, we made sail out of Shipwreck Harbor and back towards the horizon to disappear with the setting sun into the Locker, as was custom.

But something was lying in wait for us as we ventured out further and further. Never would we make our descent, for something or someone had taken control of the _Dutchman_ and began to drag the ship to the bottom of the ocean floor. The crew desperately tried to break themselves free. Father, as First Mate to Will and a former Navy Admiral, led the crew into every defensive strategy he could think of, but it was as if the ship was acting on its own volition. As the seawater began to pour over the side of the ship onto the deck, all looked hopeless. Father retrieved me, placed me in my mother's arms, and ordered us to leave the ship to keep me safe, as there would be no way I would survive being dragged beneath the waves.

Mother instinctively obeyed, using her powers to envelop us inside a pocket beneath the waves to steer us as quickly as we could back to Shipwreck Island. The sun had fully dissipated by the time she was able to carry me to a high enough bluff towards where the ship had tried to sail, and the _Dutchman_ by that time was fully submerged beneath the ocean. So sudden was our retreat that Mother couldn't recall just where the _Dutchman_ was taken down. We sought refuge at the fortress in Shipwreck Cove, where Elizabeth and Henry had just returned from seeing us off. Together, they plotted to find the _Dutchman_ and find any means by setting them free by whatever was keeping them.

I was left with Mathilde Davis, who had by that time become Henry's regular yet increasingly bitter nanny whenever Elizabeth or Rose was preoccupied with other important business, while Mother, Elizabeth, Henry, and a few trusted men from Elizabeth's commissioned ship the _Bountiful_ took a small frigate to look search for the ship. Mother would channel her energy into pushing aside spots of the ocean as deep as she could to try searching for any signs of the _Dutchman._ Finally, after days of futile searching, Mother caught a glimpse of just the tip of the _Dutchman_ 's mast protruding from the ocean that she was able to blast back. She then tossed herself into the waves, using her powers to lower herself downwards towards it, then manipulating the water to force it up to the surface.

As water poured off the deck and Mother caught her breath, she was raised to her feet by none other than my father, who immediately began firmly yelling at her to return to shore at once. The _Dutchman_ had been raised within just a few meters of the frigate where Elizabeth and Henry stood watching this all take place. Chaos erupted on deck once Will saw his wife and child onboard, and he immediately ordered Elizabeth to take Henry below deck where he would be safer. Elizabeth obeyed, but Henry resisted, crying out to his father that he would someday find him again before Elizabeth's strength ultimately bested his and he was forced below deck. Will then joined my father by my mother's side and began to insist that she take the frigate back to land at once.

"No!" she protested. "Not until you tell me what's happening. What's keeping you here?"

"We're tethered to the bottom of the ocean," Will replied. "Go! It's up to you to find a way to free us."

Mother shook her head, not understanding. "What do you mean? Who could have possibly tethered you?"

"We cannot say," Will barked. "Please just go before they capture you as well."

"Who?!" she cried. "I can't help you unless you tell me _who_ did this!"

"Rose," my father said, cupping her face with his hands. "You must obey orders and _go._ Do not return to us until you have a thorough plan of rescue. Do you understand?"

"How will I know where to begin?" she asked.

James and Will exchanged a glance, then Will said cryptically, "Begin at the end."

Just then, the ship's body shuddered, and Father then tossed my Mother overboard, knowing that with her powers, she would be safe. The _Dutchman_ once again was lowered into the waves below, out of reach of my mother's help. She defeatedly climbed back aboard the frigate, and reluctantly turned the ship towards land, where she poured into research to try to figure out who could have possibly taken the ship and the meaning behind Will's words; _Begin at the end._

For months, Rose, Elizabeth, and Henry worked seemingly without end. During this time, Teague came to visit his old haunts, and was astonished to find his daughter and granddaughter ashore. Mother opted not to tell him about what had befallen her ship, and waited until he left on another voyage to continue her studies. This was much to the chagrin of Henry as well, who was passionate about adventuring with Rose's half-brother, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Rose hadn't seen her brother in years, but she decided that even if he too one day came to Shipwreck, she would keep the situation a secret from both members of her family. She knew these two men, both of whom shared a passion for acting completely on impulse, or, as they liked to say, "improvisation," and also shared a keen adoration for Rose. If either of them knew about the danger the _Dutchman_ was in, they would instantly launch into a full rescue initiative. She would instead never let on that there was anything wrong and heed Will and James's advice to fully put together a plan before attempting a rescue.

A year passed, and Mother began to grow desperate as nothing changed. Her research led to dead ends, and her crew, Captain, and husband were still trapped and completely powerless. Feeling as though she was letting them down, she one day decided to adopt her brother and father's methods of improvisation and make an attempt to save the _Dutchman,_ despite having no plans whatsoever.

"I can't just sit here and watch as Anna gets another year older without her father. I've got to do something," Mother had tried to reason with a reluctant Elizabeth.

"You _are_ doing something," Elizabeth reassured her. "Just stick to the plan. I will work twice as hard to help you find a solution, I promise. I just can't help but feel that Will wouldn't have given those orders for you to stay away unless it was incredibly dangerous."

"What could they possibly do to me?" Rose asked. "I have the powers of Calypso! Nothing can harm me."

"And you think Will doesn't know that? Rose, they wanted you off that ship for a reason. They _must_ know something."

But Mother refused to listen. "Maybe if I go by myself, not putting any other living souls in danger…"

"Rose, _stop!_ " Elizabeth ordered. "Why won't you heed their warnings?"

"Because I can't raise Anna by myself!" she blurted, her shoulders suddenly shaking as sobs overtook her.

"I'm raising Henry by myself." Elizabeth took a moment, then placed her hands on Rose's shoulders encouragingly. "You _can._ And you _must._ I know you lived a parentless life that you would never want for your daughter. I know how painful this is, believe me, more than _anyone._ But our first and foremost role now are as mothers. It kills me to say this, but at the end of the day those men out there can defend themselves. Anna cannot. Henry cannot. One parent is one parent more than you had. If you rush into danger, you might be denying Anna even _that_ much."

Mother finally conceded, telling Elizabeth that she would continue the slow journey towards uncovering the truth, though this was a boldfaced lie. Her confidence still elevated by her immortality and powers, decided then to go behind her back and take the same frigate and few men back out to the ship's resting place that night. They set sail, despite an impending storm creating rough, choppy waters, and only when the ship was far enough out to sea did Henry make his presence known; He had stowed away upon following Rose out to the docks to board the ship that night.

Though Rose was furious at his persistence and certainly didn't want to endanger him, she ultimately allowed for him to stay instead of turning back, telling him to stay below decks. She then raised the _Dutchman_ again, though this time was another matter entirely. She was able to raise it from her position on the frigate's deck, and as it crested the surface of the waves, the ship began firing at the frigate immediately. Rose struggled to see any member of the crew aboard through the chaos of the smoke and flying cannonballs. The frigate, completely undermanned and inept to take any significant hits from the _Dutchman,_ sank within minutes. The lower decks filled with water first, and as Rose scrambled to try to keep the vessel afloat, she had completely forgotten that she had ordered Henry to remain below in these now-completely filled compartments of the ship. She let go of her resistance to race to find him, thereby allowing the ship to continue its decent into the ocean, where it broke apart due to the pressure of the waves and the damage it had procured during the battle. Frantically, Rose searched for Henry in the pounding, chaotic waters. When she finally did locate him, he was unconscious, having taken in a significant amount of seawater when he was trapped in the decks below. The _Dutchman,_ having attained its objective, lowered back into its watery prison, and Rose was left no choice but to own up to her failures and return to Shipwreck. She, Henry, and the only surviving man of the three she brought aboard were transported back to the Cove, where they were treated at her storeroom.

Henry, blessedly, was revived, but not before a frightened and furious Elizabeth found them within the storeroom. Although Henry fully admitted his fault, Elizabeth was so livid with my mother's stubbornness that she could barely look at her. Upon putting Henry to bed, she returned to the storeroom, where Mother sat, despondent, discouraged, and still sopping wet.

"I thought I could do it," she said. "I never anticipated…"

"What. That what Will told you could _possibly_ be correct?" Elizabeth shook her head angrily. "You're a fool." After a moment of tense silence, she then quietly stated, "This is getting to be too much. All that Henry _ever_ talks about is Will and plans to get Will back. He loves him so much…but, when I at one time asked you if I should have been keeping Will's identity mostly a mystery to Henry…I now see that the answer was yes. I should have listened to my own intuition. This was a mistake."

"Elizabeth, no…"

" _Yes,_ " she insisted. "Rose, for once, we are _equals._ We are both mothers who have lost our husbands and are trapped on land, relatively powerless to save them. I have just as much at stake as you do. I am the sole parent of my child at the moment, and it is my job to _parent._ And as a parent, I choose to keep my son safe. The only way I can keep him safe is to keep him out of this. That's why…that's…why I am moving out of the fortress."

Mother's eyes went wide upon hearing this. "You're…what?"

Elizabeth stood, grabbing a roll of parchment and laying it on a crate in front of where Mother sat. She rolled it out, revealing a plan for a building. "On the westernmost point of the island, I will commission a lighthouse to be built. That's what _I_ can do to help. It's not much, but I pray that Will can see its light each night and know that he is not alone. I will be his lighthouse. It will be his beacon when things get most dark. And there, I will raise Henry. Away from…all of this," she said, motioning around the storeroom. "I will keep my own research going, I will help you as much as I can, and we can meet once a week here to discuss whatever we discover. But I choose not to speak to Henry about Jack, or Will, or any sort of rescue attempt to Henry any longer. He's reckless, like both me and Will were. He's all I have left. I cannot risk him doing something foolish and losing his life. And I hope that you also respect my wishes. Don't involve him. You may raise Anna however you see fit, just leave my son out of this."

The lighthouse was built, Henry and Elizabeth left, and business continued as usual as the years passed. The Cove remained a pirate supply and safe haven, the town continued a steady growth in its economy, Elizabeth presided over it all, and Rose kept her storeroom and hospital going. Research took place in the meantime behind Henry's back, and the weekly meetings between the two women regularly occurred. Mother visited the _Dutchman_ 's resting place on her own in a dinghy only one time three years the shipwreck, finding a powerful current surrounding the area of the imprisonment, keeping all passersby unable to get close.

Every development once again lead to dead ends, the truth remained concealed from Henry and Teague, Jack remained missing, and mother continuously kept me abreast of all of it. Henry and I continued to grow towards adulthood, and the stagnancy of the _Dutchman's_ trapping had become a common part of our lives, though it continued to eat away at all of us in our own ways.

I sometimes thought I could I remember him. My father. Mother would tell me everything she could about him, as though her words would keep my very basic memories of him from the age of three alive. But for the most part, he was just a hazy memory from the past that was more abstract than literal. Mother would say that my face resembled his, and that I shared his green eyes, but when I would look at myself in a looking glass to try and find some trace of him, I could only see a stranger. James Norrington was just a name of man who shared my blood, nothing more, and I know that this fact would have killed my mother were she not already immortal.

After we together recounted all of this, there was an uncomfortably long silence, as once again we had hit a dead end. In these moments, I debated on whether or not to tell them that Henry might have stumbled upon a solution. I didn't know this to be completely true, and if for some reason our meanings had gotten crossed, I couldn't risk accidentally revealing to him that the rest of us together had been plotting a rescue, concealing information from him for ten years now. So…I said nothing.

Elizabeth sighed, then finally said, "So…we wait for Return Day?"

"Aye," Mother said sullenly. "We wait for Return day."


	96. The Anna Diaries - 3 - Return Day

_May 26, 1765._

Exactly twenty years to the day after Jones and Beckett were bested, the pirates reigned supreme, and the war was ended, and yet our fight had not been won, not even in the slightest. The entire day had been spent with all of us aflutter in anticipation, awaiting for the sunset. Mother was particularly anxious all afternoon, constantly on the move, moving items that did not need to be moved on the shelves in the storeroom, reorganizing herbs again and again, _anything_ to keep herself preoccupied. I meanwhile was lost in thought as I performed my daily storeroom chores, wondering what it would be like to finally meet my father. What would I say? What would _he_ say? What would he look like? What would he act like?

I had heard both good and bad things about him. He was brave and selfless, witty and loving, loyal and a leader. But he was also ambitious and manipulative, deceitful and cunning, cold and bitter. These traits in my mind cancelled each other out—so which was the Father I was going to get, if I was going to see him tonight at all?

Around the late afternoon, Mother closed the storeroom so that we could get ready. I fretted for hours about what to wear. Was a dress too feminine, or pants too informal? Did my look even matter whatsoever? I finally decided to tie my hair back with a simple ribbon, wearing a white blouse, a vest, and my green skirt with my boots. I met Mother downstairs. She looked beautiful, her hair in elaborate braids twisted among each other to make an almost hypnotic design. She wore her red dress she had once sported aboard the _Dutchman_ with the black bodice. She took my hand, and we walked together to make the hike up to the lighthouse.

We were silent for a time, until I asked the question that had been on my mind for most of my childhood, but had particularly been eating at me for the past few hours; "Mother," I asked gently, "What will he be like? Father? If he comes?" I swallowed my apprehension as I proceeded with, "I'm not sure what to expect when the _Dutchman_ comes back to shore."

She looked down at me, wearing a sad smile. "Your father," she began, "Has a wit that is unmatched. He's extremely astute and has a brilliant mind for strategy. He's...powerful. Commanding."

I shifted uncomfortably. None of these descriptors sounded endearing to me. I then asked, "Do you...do you think he'll like me?"

Mother blinked, as though she couldn't believe what I was asking. She then stopped walking, placing one hand on my shoulder and the other under my chin. "Ma Cherie," she cooed, "He loves you more than you could possibly know. Of course he'll like you."

"But he sounds...cold," I protested.

Her expression grew pensive as she cocked her head to the side. "I don't think I ever told you about when I first told him that I was pregnant with you," she began. "I didn't know it was possible to have a child as we both had already died, so I doubted for a long time. But finally, I just knew, as mothers always seem to do. I realized how it was possible—both you and Henry. Though we technically are dead, our bodies have been kept alive. We still have beating hearts that too in turn can give life. I was hesitant to tell your father anything, for fear of how he would react.

"There came a time that I had to say something, so one night, after our shifts had ended, I sat him down and told him. He reacted much as I initially did, saying that he thought that was impossible. And of course, he was skeptical, just as I knew he would be. And oh, how he worried and doted! But soon, as I began to show more and more, he became so anxious. He really _wanted_ you. Well," she said, looking down at her hands, "Not exactly you. He wanted a son, as all Fathers do."

Though my stomach dropped in disappointment, my mother, as though anticipating my unsettledness at this comment, quickly reassured me by saying, "Your father wanted nothing more than to have a child at all, but I suppose that he was so particular about you being male because in his eyes, he could train the boy to be a man who could defend himself and be fearsome. With a daughter, there would be a constant fear. A need for _him_ to protect you."

"I don't need anyone's protection," I protested.

Mother smiled, whispering, "You and I know that, but you could never convince the likes of him otherwise. C'est vrai?" Once I grinned in understanding, she proceeded with, "And when the time came and you were born, I watched the most miraculous and curious thing come to pass. At first, when he saw you, he seemed disappointed. He just stared at you, and I stayed still, nearly holding my breath. Then he held you for the first time." Mother's eyes started to grow misty as she spoke the next few words. "His eyes smiled first. Such love, something I had always wished to see from my own parents. You were _his_ , something that could never leave him heartbroken. It was a beautiful thing."

She drew herself from the memory and gazed back down at me. "So when you say that he sounds cold…largely, he _is._ He's had a hard life, and he's been hurt many times. He buries his emotions beneath a facade. And it was when he would let me see through that facade that I fell in love with him."

"Do you think the facade will be up one more around me?" I asked.

"Probably," she reluctantly revealed. "It's been so long, and we don't know what he and Will and the crew have been facing for all these years. Tonight will provide us with answers. But I know he won't be the same as we once were." She grabbed squeezed my shoulders and looked at me earnestly. "Promise me that you'll give him a chance. No matter how he looks or what he acts like. Know that he loves you. Know that he's facing a pressure neither of us can fathom."

I promised, though my anxiety only seemed to balloon. We continued on the path to the bluff, once again ceasing all idle chatter. Henry and Elizabeth were already waiting outside when we arrived, and we wordlessly all exchanged tense glances as we walked together down to the cliffside to watch the sunset. Henry looked dapper in a gold and beige suit, while Elizabeth sported a beautiful pink dress I had never seen before.

We waited there together on the bluff overlooking the horizon, just as Henry and Elizabeth had done ten years previous. Sunset grew ever nearer, and I began to grow increasingly impatient.

"What happens next?" I asked aloud to anyone who would answer me.

"Shh!" Henry hushed me. "Just wait!"

My mother, however, just smiled and leaned closer to me, a misty look in her eyes. She seemed to almost be reciting a line from her past as she murmured to herself, "Seldom times, one can spot a green flash along the horizon. Wait and see if it happens now."

So we did. As the last speck of the sunlight dipped below the ocean, Elizabeth grabbed Mother's hand and held in her breath. We waited and…

…nothing.

For minutes we waited as darkness began to fall. Finally, I looked up to my elders. "Well? Where are they?" Little did I know that I asked aloud the question they were all asking themselves in utter disbelief.

"Did…we couldn't have gotten the day wrong…" Elizabeth said distantly, clearly crestfallen as her eyes still searched the horizon as though she just wasn't seeing the _Flying Dutchman_ floating in the harbor.

"Of course you didn't!" cried Henry, who was visibly enraged. "Mother, so in peril are they that they can't escape their bindings for Return Day!"

"Henry," Mother said in a warning tone. "Just…everyone go home. I will go find them and sort this out."

"Rose, no, it's fine," Elizabeth said, trying to keep from causing trouble.

At the same time, Henry insisted, "Then I'm going with you!"

"No, you aren't!" Mother demanded, silencing him. "Please, just…take Anna up to the lighthouse. I'll be along shortly, with our men in tow. Alright?"

"Rose…" Elizabeth said warningly.

"I'll be _fine,_ " Mother assured her, though she seemed less certain than she was simply trying to keep everyone calm. She turned to me, placing a hand alongside my face. "I'll be back soon, my sweet. Go up with Elizabeth."

"Here," Henry said, reaching inside his jacket pocket and procuring a crumpled piece of parchment, then handing it over to my mother. "This will help get you precisely there sooner."

Mother took it and unfolded it to reveal a detailed map of the island, with a distinct marking of where the _Dutchman_ was imprisoned. The map was hand drawn in Henry's penmanship.

"What is this?" she asked him.

"An accurate map of where the _Dutchman_ lies," he responded briskly, not providing any further explanation.

"But…how did-"

"Looks like we're _all_ keeping secrets from one another," he replied, his jaw tight as he looked between the three of us. My heart raced at this tense moment, as no one seemed certain of what to say next.

Mother finally sighed in exasperation, handing the map back to Henry. "I haven't the time for this," she said. "I can find them on my own. I'm leaving!"

Elizabeth caught her arm before she was able to turn and leave, stopping her progress. "Rose," she said in a low voice, "If you're not back by sunrise…"

"I will be," Mother emphasized. Then, looking at me one final time, she said gently, "Don't you fret. I will sort this all out."

I couldn't even get in a word before she had turned, marching straight towards the path which would lead down to the shore. Soon, I was led in the opposite direction back to the Cove, away from the bitter disappointment that was that evening on the bluff.

* * *

Upon entering the lighthouse, Elizabeth confronted her son, fury in her eyes. "You will explain to me at once the meaning of that map," she spat.

"Only if you explain to me why I've been kept out of all your plans for the past nine years," Henry countered, returning her glare. I stood unmoving in the back of the room, petrified to get involved in this quarrel. Henry continued, "You think I didn't know that you were sneaking off to the Cove once a week? I've followed you there. _Many_ times." He let out an exasperated sigh, casting his eyes downwards as he asked quietly, "Is this all because of the time I nearly drowned as a stowaway?"

"It's because I wanted to keep you _safe,_ Henry!" Elizabeth cried. "You would have gone galavanting off if I kept all of our plans, and ideas, and theories around you. I wanted you to have as normal and safe of a life as possible. That's why I moved you here, that's why I stopped including you on the plans. You would have tried to go out on your own otherwise, I just know it."

He tensed his jaw before revealing, "I _have_ gone out. To visit them."

"You have?" I said without thinking. Despite some of his more rash behavior I didn't agree with, I couldn't help but be somewhat impressed that he had accomplished this feat.

Elizabeth's face was flushed with anger. "When?" she said simply.

"Twice," he answered. "Once eight years ago, and I was able to get the _Dutchman_ to raise itself up. I conversed with Father then. Then I made another attempt a few months later, but by that time, the current had formed around the resting place. I couldn't even get close."

I then crossed the room to stand at Elizabeth's side upon hearing this. "You were actually aboard? You spoke to your father?" He nodded. "Well, what did he say?" I asked. "Who else was there?"

"He refused my help, much like he did the first time Rose tried to save them. And no one else was there…except voices."

I shook my head, not understanding him. "Voices?"

"It's no accident that they're trapped at the bottom of the sea," Henry said plaintively to the two of us. "Someone _has_ them, and they've been keeping watch over them this whole time." His eyes then grew distant as he remembered. "Father's face…it was covered in growth from living in nothing but the ocean water." He shook his head. "If there are any other crewmen still aboard, I shudder to think of what they look like now. That was _eight_ years ago when I last saw them." He then reached around his neck and lifted out of his shirt a long leather necklace which held a pendant, a shell, and a metal ring.

Elizabeth instantly recognized it, reaching her hand out to touch it. "Will's necklace," she whispered.

"Aye," Henry responded. "He gave it to me as a parting gift that night."

Tears in her eyes, she then murmured, "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Tell me why I _would,"_ he retorted. "Any time I tried to ask about Father, or Jack, or what Rose was up to in the fortress, you only shut me out. If we would have but collaborated, perhaps they would have been freed _years_ ago. With my research…"

" _Your_ research?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

Without a word, he marched out of the parlor and walked down the hallway towards his room. Elizabeth and I instinctively followed. Within his room, which otherwise looked like the typical furnishings of a boy his age, he began to tear down curtains he had hung over all four walls. As he took them down one by one, Elizabeth and I were astonished to find every inch of the walls covered in parchment he had tacked to them, full of drawings and scribblings and pages from books.

"I have read every book on Shipwreck, I have even borrowed a few from Rose's storeroom without her noticing."

I sneered. "You _stole_ them, you mean."

"I always brought them back!" he protested. "But I have read as much as I could. I have postulated every possible solution, and I keep arriving at but one answer and one answer only; The trident of Poseidon."

"Henry…" Elizabeth began, silencing him.

"The trident's but a myth," I added. "Mother tried to locate it to try to free them all even before I was born. It was supposedly kept in Poseidon's tomb beneath the sea, and don't you think if anyone were to be able to locate it, it would be the very crew who _controls_ the seas?" I shook my head sadly. "It doesn't exist. We've tried that route."

"Father said the same thing!" he insisted. "But there is proof! In the ancient texts, they speak of 'the map no man can read!'"

"—Which my mother mistakenly gave to Barbossa," I interrupted him. "We have no idea where it could be, and even if we _could_ find it, how could it possibly be interpreted if no man can read it?"

"Well _nothing_ is being accomplished by just sitting here!" he yelled. "They haven't come back for Return Day because someone is torturing them down there! If they even _are_ still down there, that is. Anything could have happened by now!"

"We won't know anything until Rose comes back with news," Elizabeth said calmly, trying to ease the tension in the room. "So," she murmured, "We shall wait. We will assess as soon as she returns home with news. Understood?"

Henry and I both nodded bitterly, then wordlessly joined Elizabeth back in the parlor. She fixed us dinner and tea, but our minds were each elsewhere and our bodies completely uninterested in nourishment. Though for ten years, all of us had had the same exact motivation, we somehow had undermined our objective by acting in opposition to one another rather than working together. I couldn't help but fear that Henry was right; Maybe all of this _could_ have been resolved if we had but collaborated from the beginning.

The night trudged onwards at an excruciatingly slow pace. I began pace the room, with every passing moment fearing the worst for my mother. I remembered what Elizabeth had said to her before she left to go find them; _If you aren't back before sunrise…_ If she wasn't back before sunrise, what? What could we possibly do as three mortals without a single clue as to who had captured our loved ones? Eventually I grew weary of pacing and planted myself in a chair, and before I knew it, dozed off into an uneasy sleep.

I was awakened by voices that cut through the silence. I sat up, my eyes adjusting to see the form of my mother, standing in the middle of the room, dripping wet and clutching her silver crab locket that she had inherited from Calypso in her palm. Something else glinted on its chain however…a gold ring.

"Rose, what happened?" Elizabeth asked, fetching her a wool blanket and placing it over her shoulders.

"Aye," Henry added, "Where are they?"

"Mother?" I said.

She opened her mouth and closed it several times, uncertain of what to say. She finally settled on, "James and Will are still there. They're fine." Her lip quivered as she then added on one final, gut-wrenching sentence that cleared the room of any trace of hope; "They're not coming to shore…and they once again refused to tell me what has them trapped."


	97. The Anna Diaries - 4 - Failures

After ten long years of waiting, our one day of payoff, where we might receive answers or at the very least reconnect with our lost husbands, fathers, friends…was gone. We were all crestfallen at this news, but immediately demanded more details of my mother. She only shook her head firmly, murmuring, "Anna, Henry, would you please excuse us? I wish to speak with Elizabeth alone."

"No," Henry insisted plainly. "No more secrecy. We will be here together. We wish to hear what happened. _All_ of us."

Mother stood straighter and raised an eyebrow, appalled by Henry's rebelliousness. "There are things I do not want my daughter to hear. You will not tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Rose," Elizabeth said, laying a hand on her back. "For once, I side with Henry. Now more than ever, we must all be united in what little knowledge has been made clear to us, no matter how much hurt it may cause."

To convince her further, Henry led the way to his room, revealing to her all he had compiled just as he had with Elizabeth and me but a few hours previous. This was enough to persuade her, and the four of us sat together in the parlor as she began the story of all that she had found remaining of the _Flying Dutchman_.

* * *

Rose, upon reaching the ocean, used her powers to transport herself through the sea and straight to the resting place of the _Dutchman,_ which was exactly where she had left it from years past, still fortified by the current. She had been here before, and at the time couldn't figure how to best the current and gain entry. So impassioned by the failure of Return Day was she, however, that she used all the force in her body to force the current backwards until it broke entirely, allowing her entrance to the vessel. She swam to the deck, then took a moment to gauge her surroundings. This was the ship she knew alright, but it appeared utterly deserted and was coated in thick layers of algae and barnacles. Rose wasn't here to reunite with the ship, however. She was here to converse with her Captain and her husband. Using every ounce of her focus and while raising her arms upwards, she churned the waves around the ship so that they furled and hoisted the vessel upwards until it broke the waves.

She gasped as the oxygen hit her lungs and ocean water poured over the sides of the ship. Dripping wet, Rose cried out in the empty darkness, "It is I! Rose Hexfury! Come about!"

All was silent until she caught a glimpse of a humanoid figure hovering nearby her, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He was alone, covered from head to toe in barnacles, his face unrecognizable.

"Sir?" she asked him, drawing closer. "Where's the Captain? Will Turner?"

The figure just stared at her, unmoving, then finally shook his head and grunted, motioning with his head for her to look behind her. She turned her head, gazing towards the forecastle deck where Will stepped out between the shadows. His once handsome features were now completely disguised beneath a thick layer of sea life, but Rose could still hear his voice and knew at once that this was her Captain. "Rose?" he asked. He then breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that it was indeed her. "Have you found a way to free us? Is that why you've come?"

Rose swallowed her apprehension and cheerfully replied, "No. I've come to take you ashore."

He began to shake his head. "No…"

"Come now, there's no time to lose!" she countered. "Your wife and son wait for you ashore, and your one day is already waning!"

"Rose," he said, shaking his head. "You know as well as I do that that's not possible. Not looking like…this."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "So…you _can_ go free…you just _won't_."

Will sighed, stepping closer to her. "It's not that simple," he said, with his voice lowered. Clearly, he was hiding something.

"So tell me, then!" she cried. "Let me help you!" She gazed around the rest of the ship. Suddenly, she asked in concern, "Where's the rest of the crew?"

Will averted his gaze. "I set all who wished to leave free," he muttered. "Including my father."

Rose's heart dropped into her stomach. There was nothing left of the crew. Worse yet, Bootstrap was gone. It was right of Will to do so, and she instantly knew his reasoning; Bootstrap had already gone through this cursed existence once, and Will wasn't about to have him undergo it again when he could otherwise have eternal peace. That didn't stop the hurt caused by his absence.

Rose then grew panicked. "What of James?" she asked. Will looked up at her, uncertain of what to respond with. Rose's heart beat faster. "Will? Where is he?" His gaze then rose above her head to the lone figure that she had originally approached, who was standing only a single pace away from her. Rose turned and followed his gaze, her expression falling in horror when she realized that she hadn't even recognized her own husband.

James turned away at once upon seeing Rose so taken aback, unable to take her reaction. He fled towards the helm, but Rose raced after him, planting herself firmly in his path. "James!" she cried out, throwing her arms around him and whispering, "I'm so sorry."

He moved his hand to caress the back of her head, but upon catching a glimpse of his green, crusted skin, he recoiled, pulling back away from her. Coldly, he said to her, "Why did you come? I told you to stay away from here. If you don't have a way to free us, then you must go."

Rose's eyes flared in fury. "You have a daughter on shore who waits for you. Why _didn't_ you come?"

James motioned towards his face. "Do I honestly need to explain it to you? I would rather her never see me at all than see me like this."

He turned on his heel to leave her, but froze in his path upon hearing her shout, "She doesn't remember you, James." He slowly turned and looked back at her, face twisted in pain. She continued, "Anna…doesn't remember a thing about you. Is _that_ how you want it to be?"

He took a moment, and audibly winced as the word finally escaped his lips; "Yes."

Rose's eyes filled with furious tears. "Yet you do _nothing. NOTHING!"_ she cried out to Will. Both of them, the last two remaining crew members aboard the _Dutchman,_ exchanged a concerned glance and tried to quiet her. Rose cared not, however. "I, the heir to Calypso and the most powerful force of the sea could do _anything,_ and yet you send me away with nothing but vague riddles to base our research on! Why? Answer me!"

Suddenly, the ship quivered, and strange noises, like voices being carried by a winter's breeze seemed to surround them entirely. Will and James all grew deathly still as they waited for something else to happen.

"What is that?" Rose whispered to her husband. "James, who's doing this to you? _Please!"_

"It's too dangerous for you to be here, Rose," Will said, marching to where they stood. "You know how much it pains me not to be ashore, but I _can't."_ His eyes glinted in sorrow as he said demurely, "We're the only two left now, James and I. We can't leave. Give my love to Elizabeth, to Henry, but if you have nothing for us, I'm afraid it's time for you to depart."

Rose shook her head. "I'm immortal, I'll be fine."

"That's precisely why you must go," James said, his voice tense and fraught with worry. "Stay off the seas. Keep them _all_ off the seas."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

His expression contorted once more as he caressed her cheek with his fingertips. "You are more beautiful than I ever remembered," he murmured sadly.

This felt like a goodbye, and Rose was not about to give up so soon. "James," she said firmly, taking his hand in hers, "If you would just tell me what's happening! We can fight this if I only could know."

"If we tell you, then it will be too late for you," he replied cryptically.

A horrible cracking sound rang out. So strong was this noise, Rose was convinced the ship was about to split in two. James and Will exchanged a knowing glance, silently communicating between them. James gave a slight, hesitant nod and turned to his wife once more. "Go now," he ordered, turning away.

She grabbed hold of his algae-covered coat and pulled him back to her. "I broke the current that kept you isolated! I raised the ship from the depths, _all on my own._ I could free you both _now_ if you would but help me!"

His demeanor instantly changed as he leaned towards her, face hardened and voice cruel. "What help have you been so far?" he roared. Rose's eyes went wide and her heart seemed to stop entirely at this turn. James tightened his jaw. "You've had the better part of a decade to help us, yet you've let us both become _this,_ " he spat, motioning to his face.

"I didn't 'let' you," she cried. "I've been working without end to get you back!"

"Then why am I as I am?" he retorted. He grew closer to her, whispering darkly, "You've failed us. You've failed _me_. So go."

By now Rose was shaking, her mind racing. "You're…you're only saying this to hurt me," she stammered, attempting to tell herself this more than she was telling him. "You're only trying to get me to leave."

James exchanged another glance with Will upon feeling another shudder of the ship, then continued, "You think so?" He pried his wedding band off of his finger, which was now tarnished and ruined from the seawater. "Here," he said, placing it into her hand, "Clearly you've enjoyed your freedom thus far, take it all."

"What is this? What are you doing?" she asked, her voice raised in panic.

"Setting you free," he remarked cruelly. "Consider your ties to me and this vessel null. Find someone else. Shouldn't be hard for you, for I know how _changeable_ your heart can be."

"James," Rose murmured, now in tears as she reaching her hand out to comfort his pain.

He swatted her hand away. "Find another man to be a father to Anna." He then moved to turn, but not before Rose insistently stated, "James, she is _our_ daughter…who loves and misses you."

Mother interrupted the story here. She had been crying throughout her telling of it, but at this point, she paused, gazing up at me. "Anna," she whispered. "I'm begging you—please leave the room. I don't want you to listen to any more of this."

"I do," I said firmly. "What happened?"

Placing her head in her hands, she wiped her cheeks, then stammered through what my Father replied to her comment about me with; He turned back to her, and said cruelly, "Just as she has forgotten me, so soon shall I. _Go._ "

Rose then watched as he trudged away from her as she stood there, alone and utterly eviscerated by his words, clutching his ring. The ship rocked precariously once more, and as James disappeared into the shadows, Will turned one last time to Rose, eyes sorrowful as he implored, "I'm so sorry Rose, but please you _must_ depart!"

"Will, I-" she stammered.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes sorrowful. "Tell the others to give up this chase. If you haven't found anything to free us by now, you never will."

"Just _tell_ me—"

But he just kept talking over the top of her. "I will try to free James if I can, but he refuses. This is my burden to bear, and his as well if he so chooses." He shook his head and gave a defeated sigh. "This is not the life we would have chosen for our families. It's enough to know you're safe."

The winds began to howl and the waves churned. Just then, the waves broke over the deck. As they began to submerge them, the last thing Rose heard Will say was, "Forget about us. We want it that way."

Soon after, the waters carried Rose away, separating her from her captain and her husband…or what had once been her husband. She used her powers, what little she could muster up, to keep her stationary below the waves until she watched the _Dutchman_ sink lower…and lower…and lower…back to its prison on the ocean floor.

* * *

Rose moved the water to take her back to Shipwreck, then made the long, tedious journey back to the lighthouse. She could have easily transformed right to the place where Elizabeth, Henry and I waited for her inside, but instead took her time in coming back.

"That's why it took me so long to arrive," she explained to us. "I needed time alone with my thoughts."

Henry and I exchanged a worried glance from across the room, both sharing the same troubled thoughts. _Just as she has forgotten me, so soon shall I._ That's the extent of what my father said about me. Just as I had considered him a stranger, he too had decided that I was the same to him.

"I don't understand any of this," Elizabeth said softly. "This is so unlike James."

My mother replied, "It understand it plainly. Any man I've loved is changed by the curse that binds them. I lose them forever."

We were all silent for a time, staring at nothing, and wondering the single question that Henry finally uttered aloud; "So what do we do now?"

Mother sighed. "I don't know. Will's right—if we don't have answers now, we might never will."

Henry sat forward in his seat. "Do you forget all of the elements of the supernatural you've both encountered in your lives? I don't doubt that something can be done to reverse all of this. I believe the answer could be the tri-"

Elizabeth and I cut him off with a shared glare. Now was not the time for him to push his own agenda.

"Ten years, Henry," Mother said softly. "Ten years and I've tried everything; Books, chants, spells, curses, powers, charms, attacks, prayers… And without knowing a damn thing about their situation after all this time, what else can any of us do except repeat what we've already gone through?"

"We can leave the island. Spread out, go _anywhere_. Clearly, this place isn't helping us one bit. There's an entire world of answers out there! Why can't we seek them out?"

"Do remind me how two mothers who run an entire island by themselves all while trying to rescue their husbands, one of which cannot leave the island because she must protect her husband's heart at all times, have the time to go exploring for clues. I'll wait."

"Send someone else then. I'm not a child anymore. Send me to find people who can help us, like Jack—"

Elizabeth turned to him. "Did you not hear Rose? James told her that everyone must stay off the seas."

Henry was unconvinced. "That was just a tactic to keep her safe. Father tried the same on me when I went aboard. Norrington didn't mean it. I don't think he meant a single word of it."

"Then explain to me why I am presently holding his ring," Mother snapped, tossing the chain down on the parlor table which now carried her locket and the once treasured token of my father's love for her. Together, they clanged with a hard thud when it made contact with the wood, which made me wince.

"Mother, you can't honestly be considering listening to them," I tried hopefully. "You always told me that whenever Father ordered you into something, you would usually always do the opposite. If he told you to flee, you'd run headlong into battle. If he told you to stay behind, you'd go. Why would that change now?"

"Because in those days, it was only _my_ life that was at risk, and I cannot be harmed." She sat up, leaning towards me to look into my eyes earnestly. "When I became a mother, my life became devoted to you. And even before then, I pledged to Will to keep Elizabeth and Henry safe." She then turned to address all three of us, rapt at her words. "I think…I think it might be time to honor that promise."

"Rose…" Elizabeth began.

But Mother was having none of it. "You didn't see the look of disappointment on Will's face when I told him we had nothing!" she cried, her voice tight with emotion. "You didn't see how horrible the growth on them is. I didn't recognize my own _husband_!" She took a breath, calming herself down before stating, "I do not intend on giving up. I will spend an eternity until I find a way to break their curse if that's what it takes…but they're right. The living must come first. So…we continue our work, _together,_ and we follow their wishes and stay off the seas. We don't know what is out there that could come for us."

When no form of a response came from any of us, Mother turned to Elizabeth. "Am I making the wrong call?"

She considered a moment, slowly blinking her exhausted, puffy eyes. "No," she finally said.

"Mother!" Henry cried incredulously.

"We are your sole guardians," Elizabeth began, placing her hand atop her son's. "We have a duty to you above all else. I love them more than you could possibly know, but can't you see this is for your own good to not fight their wishes any longer?"

Henry pulled his hand from beneath hers and stood up defensively. He motioned to me as he said, "Can't you see that it's for our own good that we have our fathers with us? That we see see you both happy and content? I don't know what 'childhood,' you think you're trying to preserve, because it's not worth preserving as it currently stands." With that, he stormed out of our presence to his room, slamming his door behind him once he arrived.

Elizabeth took a deep inhale, her eyes staring at nothing in particular. "He won't be reasoned with. That boy is too headstrong for his own good," she admitted in defeat. Then, shifting her thoughts, she commented, "It's a small blessing, but I am grateful that Will and James have each other. They're both martyrs, willing to go through hell if it means saving someone else. They're in good company."

Mother snorted. "A blessing? Those two? It's a wonder they haven't driven one another mad yet after all these years." I gave a small smile, grateful that she was able to see even the slightest bit of humor in our horrible situation. Then, looking to me, she said, "Anna? What…how are you feeling? About all of this?"

If I were to answer her question honestly, it would have taken an entire day. I felt afraid. I felt uncertain. I felt helpless, powerless, furious, frustrated, and isolated. I felt as though I was mourning two men I couldn't even remember, even though they could never die. But despite it all, I simply answered, "I…want to keep fighting," I said. "I don't care whatever Father said about me. We have to keep fighting." Both Elizabeth and Mother nodded solemnly at this, but they offered no reassurances to me that this was the proper course of action. So, after a time, I tried, "What are we going to do now?"

Mother, her eyes red and face pale, only shook her head slightly, keeping her gaze cast downwards. "I know not," she finally murmured. "We…we'll assess in the morning. That's all we can do."

Elizabeth then stood, helping Mother to her feet. "It's far too late for you both to walk back to the fortress. I won't allow it. Rose, I'll have you stay with me in my room. Anna, ask Henry to stop sulking and make you up a place to sleep out here. I'll-"

"It's fine," I said. "I can manage on my own."

Together, they left without another word. We were all too downhearted for any hopeful farewells. They blew out many of the lamps within the room, leaving me but one that I brought over to the parlor table, sitting in the place where my mother had been. Gingerly, I picked up the locket and ring that my mother had tossed aside. I clicked the face of the locket open, listening to the haunting tune that played through the dark, silent, grim night.

 _Cruel and cold like winds on the sea,  
_ _Till the day he returns to me,  
_ _Ten long years we'll wait to go by,  
_ _Our love will never die._

Elizabeth had fashioned those words to fit the tune long before I was born. They were of course signifying not only Jones and Calypso, but also her and Will. Now they suited my parents. But it had been ten years already, and Father's ring, which I then clasped in my palm, emphasized that love perhaps _could_ die. My mother, the living form of Calypso, had let my father down, and he had become a creature from the depths of the sea, cold from years of heartbreak and disappointment.

In many ways, history had repeated itself, and they were no better off than Jones and Calypso were.

I sat, unable to sleep and ruminating in my thoughts for a time until the lamp finally burned out. Now in the dark, I could hear only the sound of my own breath.

 _In…out. In…out. …Creeeeeaaakkkk…_

I started when I heard =the floorboards towards the hallway creak with the pressure of someone's weight atop them. Given Will and Father's warnings about unknown dangers this evening, I was so alarmed that I leapt atop the furniture and cried out in fear, "WHO GOES THERE?"

"SHUT UP!" a hoarse whisper spat at me. The source of the noise then fully appeared in the room, his face lit by a single lamp of his own that he was carrying. "Do you want to wake the entire island? I didn't know you were out here, or else I would have gone out the back door!" Henry informed me.

I clutched my chest. "Fool," I hissed. "You nearly scared me to death."

"Clearly not my intention," he halfway apologized. "Let me pass."

I narrowed my eyes. "Where are you going at this hour?"

Henry blinked, contemplating whether or not to tell me. Finally, he said, "Away."

"Away? Where?"

"Anywhere," he said. "Anywhere at all is better than spinning our wheels here. So, I'm taking the dinghy, and will go wherever the wind takes me until I find answers of my own." He then raised an eyebrow warningly at me as he went to pass, stating, "Don't try to stop me."

My heart raced at this. This was incredibly reckless. We had been repeatedly warned to stay off the sea, we were but children, and neither of us had any sailing experience whatsoever. But in a way…it was also smart. If our mothers weren't going to let us go, we had to take charge on our own. I no longer wanted my Father back for my sake. His relationship with me was practically nonexistent at that moment. I needed him back for my Mother. It was time for the children of the _Flying Dutchman_ to take matters into their own hands.

"Wait!" I cried, tossing the chain with the ring and the locket on it over my head and around my neck as I raced to catch up with Henry. "I'm going with you."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You…want to help me?"

I grinned. "It's my father's fate too. And I'm not about to let you have all the fun."


	98. The Anna Diaries - 5 - Escape

_Dear Mother,_

 _Henry and I have left the island. We've taken the dinghy and intend to sail until we find answers. Rest assured that we were not captured or taken, nor do we intend to be. We are both so sorry for leaving you and Elizabeth behind, worrying about us, but we will be safe.  
_ _We first intend to locate Uncle Jack. It will be no small feat, but at least know that Henry and I will always be traveling together and, once we find Jack, we will be among family.  
_ _Amour pour toujours,_

 _A._

I quickly scrawled that note on a page of my diary and tore it from its binding, leaving it on the parlor table at which I had been sitting. Henry was kind enough to let me dash to the fortress, where I was able to grab a few other essential items from my room and the storeroom, such as a map, a compass, two water canteens, some hard tack and fruits, and a jacket, as well as my beloved pistol and holster. Together, we then walked to the shoreline of the Cove, where we were able to board the dinghy and push off towards the open ocean. We hopped aboard, sitting down inside it and exchanging an excited glance with each other. We had done it! For the first time in our lives, we were leaving Shipwreck and pushing out towards the great unknown.

Once we got nearer to it, however, and the boat began to sway with growing swells of waves, I grew a bit concerned.

"Um, Henry," I said, watching him fiddle unsuccessfully with our sail in attempts to extend it. "How do you suppose we'll surpass the tide? The waves are rather strong, don't you think?"

He looked over his shoulder briefly, regarding the precarious waves. "Eh," he said, choosing to pay them little mind, "We'll be fine. As soon as we clear the Cove, we should cut right through them. I reckon this boat's big enough."

As he was older, I figured that he knew what he was talking about, so I stayed quiet, instead working to stow away our supplies within the small cargo hold we had at our disposal. "So, where to first?" I asked, procuring our map.

"Well," he began, still preoccupied with our stubborn sail, "We're heading East, thankfully away from the _Dutchman,_ so we technically _can_ stay out of that mess and not run into danger, but that also means that we are heading towards Port Royal."

I looked up at him. "So…you _don't_ have a plan? We're just sailing aimlessly?"

"Listen," he said with a grunt, now putting all of his weight into his task. "Leaving was a rather spur of the moment decision. I thought we could figure it out while we made our escape!"

"Sailing _right_ into enemy territory, that's a wise plan," I scoffed. "I'm sure the British Royal Navy won't bat an eye at a Turner and a Norrington sailing right up to Port Royal's docks."

He groaned, "We'll use aliases. Please use your head!"

Just then, we came around the rock face of the cliff which served as the entrance to the cove, and had also been shielding us from the turbulent winds on the other side. No longer protected, we were instantly buffeted with gusts of air, causing my hair to whip around my face wildly and Henry's job to grow ever-more challenging.

"Use _your_ head!" I shouted over the wind. "It's nearly sunrise! You know as well as I that your mother and my mother will be awake with the dawn, and if we haven't cleared the area, they'll catch us in no time. We need to decide on a heading and sail there!"

Henry finally lost patience with the sail and yanked the canvas down by hand with a loud grunt, but as soon as the high winds caught the fabric, it jolted our boat forward violently, causing me to lose balance and topple over the starboard side of the boat and into the ocean. With the sudden chill of the water completely surrounding me, I had little time to react other than clawing my way towards the surface to try to get back on board. When I finally broke above the waves, however, I was completely turned around, and flailed wildly as choppy waves smacked into my face as I struggled to find the dinghy. When my eyes finally found it, I was alarmed to see it retreating away from where I was at an alarmingly fast rate. Even more alarming was that it was unoccupied. That's when I felt Henry grasp onto my shoulder as he too broke the waves. He must have immediately dived in after to me to retrieve me.

His grip was tight, as not to lose me, but the weight he had put on my shoulder was causing my head to sink below the waves. I struggled and kicked against him, finally shouting out, "Let me go! You're not helping!"

"Sorry," he finally sputtered upon realizing what he was absentmindedly doing to me.

"Henry, the boat!" I cried, looking in a panic to our increasingly smaller vessel as it travelled independent from us.

His eyes widened in horror as he realized that he had forgotten to anchor before leaving the vessel unmanned, then took off, swimming at top speed to catch it. I immediately followed suit, swimming in stride with him. We had already sailed too far to swim back to shore—there was no going back now. Without that boat, we were done for.

I barely looked up with each stroke, focused solely on swimming straight on with all my might against the waves. I only stopped when I caught a glimpse of Henry's form ceasing movement in the water. I then tucked my body in and brought my head up out of the water, following his bewildered gaze to our boat which was…now heading straight for us, somehow.

My blood ran cold when I saw my mother, the main sail rope wrapped tightly around her right hand as she steered the rudder with her left, her face flushed with such fury it could have set an entire island aflame. She must have somehow found out that we had tried to run away and used her powers to instantly transform onto the deck of her dinghy. I felt my heart plummet into my stomach when I realized what it was that alerted her to our absence.

As though reading my mind, Henry asked me, "But…how?"

I gave a sharp exhale out of my nostrils. How had she known? The same way she could immediately find me despite being inside when I had wandered off and ventured out swimming on my own in the ocean as an infant countless times. "My blood," I answered, having forgotten in the many years since I had learned the futility of disobeying her in that way. "As I share hers and she shares the power of the seas, she knows instantly where I am in the ocean when I make contact with it." I caught his stare. "As soon as I fell in, she felt it. She knew we were here."

Henry said nothing, and instead just grimaced. By that point, mother had managed to slow the vessel down enough so that Henry and I both could grab hold of the sides and hoist our soaked selves onboard, where we then both tried to sit as far away from my mother's wrath as we possibly could as she she steered us back to the Cove, her jaw tight and unflinching.

"I'm not sure what part of 'stay off the ocean,' neither of you understand," she finally said, her hair whipping wildly around her face as she sailed, "So would you prefer me to restate in another language perhaps?"

"I'm sorry, Mother," I whimpered.

Henry was quick to cut my apology off. "It was my doing, Rose. It was my fault, my idea. We left without much thought or prior planning."

"Clearly," she scoffed. "I suppose those few, measly items you've got in the cargo hold were your stock for this grand journey, mm? That would have lasted you exactly one day at sea."

I felt my face grow red with embarrassment. "Didn't you once tell me that you sailed for days on nothing but hardtack and rum, though?" I asked.

"And I nearly _died._ It was a remarkably stupid decision, and if _my_ mother was alive then, she would have scolded me just as I am scolding you now." Mother shook her head in disbelief. "You're both lucky to be alive, first of all, given the danger we discussed not _hours_ ago, you're lucky that I caught you, you're lucky, Henry, that I am choosing not to concern Elizabeth with this ridiculous stunt, and you're _both_ lucky that I'm not going to place a homing charm upon both of you for the rest of your lives!"

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Henry trying to make eye contact with me, but I was too guilty and sheepish to return his gaze. My eyes were focused on the pool of water developing on the floorboards beneath me, running off my dripping wet clothes. I could only listen to my mother's voice, which, though it still shook in anger, was softer. "Listen to me; I was once where you were. Feeling invincible, like I could take on the world. But there were many instances where I could have and probably _would_ have died were it not for a great deal of good fortune."

"What's to say that good fortune couldn't grace _us_?" Henry protested.

Mother shook her head sadly. "Henry, look at our lives. I would struggle to call any of this, 'fortunate.'"

"We believe that the answers to the _Dutchman_ 's capture lie beyond anything Shipwreck could offer us. If you're so worried about us, Rose, come with us!"

This was actually a fantastic idea. I looked up at her with newfound excitement. "Yes! You can transform anywhere, you could always split your time between us and the Cove!"

But she just rolled her eyes. "I've covered this, _no._ I am going to listen to my Captain's orders and stay beached. It's too uncertain, and until we have a certain heading, I won't head out at all. If I do, it will be on _my_ own because I'm not mortal. Understood?" I could feel both Henry and myself deflate at this, but we had no choice but to comply, especially after Mother conceded with, "However, what you _can_ do if you really wish to help is continue the research. No more secret meetings, no more lies. We will all work in tandem. Can we agree on this?"

"Aye," we both muttered defeatedly.

"Good. Now, because of your foolishness, you both will stay up, retying the boat to the dock, emptying its contents and cleaning it out."

Once we got back to the Cove's shores, we obeyed as Mother stood on land with her arms crossed sternly, every now and again giving us guidance when we were stowing the dinghy improperly. The sun was completely up by the time we finished and I had returned all of our stock to the storeroom and changed out of my wet clothes, and I could tell that Henry was wrought with anxiety that his mother would be awake and would have found us all gone by the time the three of us trudged back to the lighthouse. Thankfully, this was not the case, as all was still and silent when we entered. Wordlessly, Mother commanded us to return to our places of rest as though nothing had transpired, me in the parlor and Henry back in his room. Mother gave us one final, warning glance as she returned to Elizabeth's room. Henry, still soaked and exhausted, walked gingerly towards his room until he saw me lean over and pick up the note that I had left my mother, still folded and positioned just how I had left it. Clearly, she hadn't seen it before she transformed from the lighthouse to fetch us.

I looked up from the note to see Henry staring at me. We didn't say a word to each other, but we didn't have to. We both shared a small smile before he took his leave, our eyes shining in determination. Our efforts to save our fathers were nowhere near being finished. While continuing our research collectively would be beneficial, both Henry and I knew that the most effective means of freeing our fathers from their shared prison would be seeking a solution elsewhere.

I pocketed the note, resolving to save it for later. I had a feeling that I would need it again soon.


	99. The Anna Diaries - 6 - Planning

The wind blew my short hair straight back as I pushed through the thick foliage of the forest behind the lighthouse. This was uninhabited land on Shipwreck, and separated the lighthouse from the town for several miles. Using the sword which I held in my left hand, I chopped down protruding branches as I passed to clear my path. I raced around a palm tree, laying my back flat against it as I tried to slow my breathing and listened.

I could hear dried fronds and twigs snap beneath his boots as he stalked through the foliage, as well as my pulse in my own ears as I heard him draw nearer and nearer.

"Come out, come out, Norrington," Henry chided, standing only a few meters off. "Are we going to finish this, or do you forfeit yet again?"

I rolled my eyes. He was trying to rile me up to get me to reveal my location. It wasn't going to work. Well…it wasn't going to work _this time._ Every other time he had succeeded in drawing me from my hiding place. So, this time around, I took a deep inhale and resolved to say nothing.

"Are you _really_ suggesting a forfeit?" he goaded again. "But you were doing so well this time… _for once._ "

Pursing my lips, I quietly stewed. Once this boy got close enough, I was going to take immense pleasure in catching him by surprise and ending this once and for all. I took a quick look around my surroundings to see if there were any final means by which I could gain an advantage over him. _A ha!_ I thought as I suddenly found the cracked stump of a fallen palm tree. Holding in my breath, I darted for it, reaching it in only three wide paces, where I jumped atop it and used it as leverage to latch onto the side of another nearby tree. My boots and right hand now gripped the grooved bark of the tree where I was elevated several feet above the ground, while my left hand still held my sword. I knew Henry would have heard me scurry over here, so now all I had to do was hold onto the bark long enough for him to wander right under where I was hiding to leap atop him.

From this vantage point, I finally caught sight of him, as he carefully stepped closer to my tree. "You should have stayed where you were," he called out. "I wouldn't have found you then!"

 _You aren't going to find me now, either,_ I thought in triumph.

"You still tread too heavily," he continued. "For someone so small, you stomp around like an elephant. It's a dead giveaway."

Finally, he began to approach my tree. I calculated my descent, then launched myself off it and barreled right into him, sending us both careening to the ground. We both pushed away from each other and held up our weapons defensively, but I grinned upon seeing him so surprised.

"And what would you know about elephants, Island Boy?" I chided.

He sneered, pushing his long brown hair back out of his eyes. "Nice trick," he admitted. "However, you have failed to disarm me, so it was for nothing."

I shrugged. "Well, I got to watch you eat your words, so that was pretty satisfying." I lunged towards him, leaping to my feet and taking a wide swing with my sword over my head which he quickly deflected with his own. He then was quickly on his feet as well, giving me two swipes on either side of me that I managed to dodge. Our blades then crossed in an X until he managed to push me off. I darted behind another palm tree, where we then clanged away at each other from either side of it. Finally, he grabbed my free hand and pulled me towards him. I stomped heavily upon his right foot, causing him to let me go. I then swung my leg low to take his feet from right under him, sending him to the ground once more. To add insult to injury, I kicked leaves into his face before making my escape, racing out of the forest and towards the lighthouse. If I made it back successfully without him catching, disarming, or "killing" me, I would win, and this was the closest I had ever come.

I could see the white outline of the lighthouse through the trees, and I felt a wide grin spread across my face as I neared the taste of victory. It swiftly vanished entirely, however, when a hand latched onto one of my feet, causing me to crash to the ground flat on my stomach and my sword to fall out of my hands and skitter out of my reach. I rolled onto my back to face my attacker by hand, but it was no use. Henry, with bits of leaves and dirt sticking to his sweaty face, was crouched over me, his sword at my throat.

"You're a dirty fighter," he said between breaths.

I raised my eyebrows. " _You're_ one to talk."

He rolled his eyes and stood, sheathing his sword and offering me a hand to help me up. I begrudgingly took it and began to pick leaves out of my hair once I was on my feet. I grabbed my sword and sheathed it forcefully as I stomped out of the forest and into the clearing.

Henry jogged to catch up to me. "Oh don't be a sore loser," he said, grinning. "You nearly had me that time!"

I glared at him from the corner of my eyes. "Don't patronize me, Turner, you're only embarrassing yourself. Go on, continue to revel in your own glory. 'Oh look at me,'" I mocked, using a pompous, elevated voice, "'I'm William Henry Turner, _no one_ can match _my_ skills. I practice twenty-three hours a _day!"_

He looked unamused. "I don't sound like that, for one, and two, I don't practice twenty-three hours a day." He shrugged as we finally cleared the forest and made our march up the hill to the lighthouse. "It's nothing personal. It's not in your blood to be a better swordsman than I am."

I cocked my head to the side and narrowed my eyes. "You really do believe that swordsmanship is an inherited trait, don't you? At first I thought you were just taunting me, but now I'm afraid that you actually think you're somehow entitled to being a skilled fighter!"

He began to cockily walk backwards as we continued our walk. "Prove it otherwise! Your father always failed to best mine, you've always failed to best me! How long have we been training now?"

He knew as well as I did that it had been nearly eighteen months since we resolved to plan out a future escape together to go rescue our fathers. In that time, we had agreed to learn and prepare as much as we could to ensure our own success and safety once off the island. But eighteen months had been around seventeen months longer than we had originally anticipated. Every day meant more danger and uncertainty for our fathers, and while our preparation was necessary and still incomplete, we both felt the ever-present panic at the metaphorical sand timer on our father's fates. So I gave him a pointed look as I said, "Too long."

We stopped walking at that point, having reached the back door of the lighthouse. Henry gave a heavy sigh and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I know," he said sullenly. "But we're close. I can feel it." He looked as though he wished to say more, but he was cut off as Elizabeth at that moment caught sight of us out the back window of the lighthouse and came outside to greet us, calling out, "There you both are! I was wondering where you had wandered off to."

Henry immediately drew his hand back from me and we both hastily moved a far enough distance away from each other as she approached. I raised my eyebrows and snorted, "Henry's back on his, 'Turners best Norringtons at everything,' rant again."

Elizabeth sent a glare at her son, who sheepishly replied with, "We were training in the forest again. And she lost…again."

Elizabeth only smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. "Turners best Norringtons at _everything_?" she asked skeptically.

I grinned once I understood her meaning, then reached for my pistol, unfastening it from its holster. "Go get your gun, Turner," I commanded Henry. "Put your words to good use."

Henry's face lost all color. "Must we?" he squeaked pathetically.

I checked the bullets in my gun nonchalantly as I mocked him with his own words, donning a deep voice to mimic his. "' _Are you really suggesting a forfeit? But you were doing so well this time…for once.'"_

Henry just exhaled deeply from his nostrils. He knew that in the past year my training with Elizabeth had gone over extremely well, and that he had no chance of besting me in a shooting competition. He just stood there reluctant to make any sort of move whatsoever.

"Go on," his mother finally said, shooing him inside. Begrudgingly, he obeyed, sulking within the lighthouse to go retrieve his pistol from his room.

Elizabeth chuckled as we watched him leave. Once he was out of earshot, she turned to me, saying, "You two, I swear. If you would leave that age-old Turner-Norrington rivalry behind and embraced your Swann-Hexfury sides, you'd find yourself far better allies than foes."

I smiled weakly and quickly nodded, "Perhaps," I said, trying to deflect from the topic. "But then again, its the rivalry that keeps us at our best."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Granted, but there's some things that won't change. Henry might be the better swordsman, but he will never surpass your marksmanship."

I beamed at the compliment. Elizabeth had been an apt teacher, and I was glad to have her on my side. Henry finally emerged from within the house, loading his pistol and clicking the barrel shut. "What's the target?" he asked.

Wordlessly, Elizabeth fetched a stray rope, then motioned for us to follow her towards the deep foliage again, where she tied it around a palm tree that marked the edge of the forest. She then positioned us a few paces away from it and spun us around so that our backs were to the tree.

"Alright, on my mark," she began, "You will both walk slowly towards the lighthouse and away from the tree. When I call out, 'Fire!' you will both spin around and shoot the tree. The closest shot to the rope is the winner. Understood?"

I smiled again. Elizabeth and I had practiced this technique again and again for weeks on end. Though never competing against someone else, knew I was capable of doing this challenge.

She stood a few meters away from us, and cried out, "Ready? Begin!"

 _Pace_.

"Scared?" I whispered with a grin. It was _my_ turn to chide.

 _Pace._

Henry snorted. "Hardly."

 _Pace._

A thought occurred to me, a way to get inside his head before we were to shoot. "Your mother's onto us."

 _Pace._

"What?" Henry asked in alarm.

"Aye," I replied cryptically.

"Well? What did she say!" he pressed.

 _Pace._

I gave a slight shrug. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know."

"What? What does that even-"

"FIRE!" Elizabeth shouted.

I spun on heel, positioning my right arm beneath my left forearm, closing one eye, and focusing the other on my target. In a split second, I squeezed my left index finger on the trigger and felt my arm recoil upwards at the momentum of the bullet leaving the gun. Henry's bullet hit the tree first, but landed at the base of the trunk, whereas mine hit the rope precisely, causing it to snap and fly off the tree entirely.

I donned a smug grin and turned with eyebrows raised to my competitor. "Say it."

"Say what?" he huffed.

"Say it," I repeated.

"You're better at shooting," he finally said.

But it wasn't enough. " _Say it."_

Groaning, he mumbled, "Norringtons can best Turners."

"That's right," I said with a curtsey, placing my gun back in the holster.

Elizabeth swept to my side, giving me a congratulatory pat on the back. "Nicely done! That was more precise than I had ever seen you shoot before!" She gave an impressed look as she said, "Hmm. I suppose the rivalry _is_ beneficial." After a moment, though, she turned to me earnestly. "Now that that's settled, Rose wants you back at the storeroom, Anna."

Henry and I exchanged a knowing glance, and he gave a small nod. "I'll walk back with her, Mother. I've got some unfinished business to wrap up at the storeroom myself."

Elizabeth considered this, then said, "Alright. Just be home before sunset. Don't get underfoot, and please, do try not to antagonize Anna too much, "

"Pssh!" I scoffed as we headed down the hill towards the path to the fortress. "You know as well as I that you ask an impossible request."

"Sadly, I do," she called after us. "Be safe, you two!"

"We will!" Henry and I cried out together, walking at a brisk pace. Henry's gaze was over his shoulder, watching his mother go back into the lighthouse and grow further and further from us.

"Is it safe yet?" I asked.

"Not yet," he replied. "Not yetttt…alright!" He turned to me, his eyes wide and concerned. "You said Mother was onto us? How so?"

I snorted. "She's not onto us, I said that just to unnerve you."

He sighed in exasperation and shoved me off the path as I continued laughing. "You cheat!" he teased. "You had me terrified."

"No, we've still got both our mother's convinced that we're too polarized to be capable of plotting anything together," I assured him. "Which reminds me, how's the money coming along?"

For months now, Henry and I had been saving money to buy our own boat. Henry would take a portion from his weekly paycheck at the blacksmith shop, whereas I would contribute from any spare shilling I found at the storeroom. One of the local fishermen, Mr. Marshall, had just purchased a new vessel and was ready to part with his old vessel. Before even _considering_ buying the boat, Henry and I would sneak away from our daily chores unbeknownst to our mothers and interrogate Mr. Marshall about every last part of the boat. We charmed him enough that one day, he took us out in the boat and taught us to sail. I was careful to not touch the water, as not to alert my mother that I was out on the sea, and the day was so helpful. It was after our repeated visits thereafter that Mr. Marshall told us that if we procured the proper funds, he would sell the boat to us and us only. We would have been foolish to turn down his kind offer, and besides, the boat was much larger, sturdier, and safer than it would have been to take the dinghy on our intended voyages.

We were several months in on our payments now, so Henry replied to my query with, "It'll be ours in just a bit."

"A bit?" I asked.

He hesitated before he replied, "…I give it five more months."

"FIVE MONTHS?!" I shouted in disbelief.

"I know," he said demurely.

"Henry, we don't _have_ five months to just wait around! We're ready _now!_ I've had crates of supplies stowed in my room for ages. We both can sail, we both can fight, we both…well, _I_ can shoot…" He glared at my joke as I continued, "To be ready to depart and have just one factor beyond our reach is horribly frustrating."

Henry gave me a sidelong glance. "More than one," he reminded me. "Where's our heading, Señorita Columbus?"

I gave an exasperated sigh and raised an eyebrow. "Turner, I will push you off this cliff. We'll have our heading tonight, given that you don't mess everything up."

Henry laughed, then said, "I know what _my_ part of the plan is, you're the one I'm uncertain about. Do you think Rose will buy our act?"

I took a deep breath and swallowed my fears. "God, I hope so."

* * *

Back at the storeroom, I tried my best to act natural, though I knew I was failing miserably. For about an hour, I had been fiddling and rearranging empty glass bottles on a shelf, my eyes peeled for sight of my mother reappearing around the corner where the shop turned into her workspace and hospital. She had been preoccupied with seven customers all complaining of a shared cough one after the other. This was to my great annoyance, as my staged plan revolved around her being free from dealing with the Shipwreck inhabitants and able to see my actions. I cast what had probably been my thirtieth glance to the table where Henry sat pouring over volumes of my mother's books. From his vantage point, he could see what was going on in the hospital, so he was my only access point to my mother's doings. When I finally caught his attention, I shot him a look that said, _"Well?!"_

He looked over, then after a moment, he mouthed to me, _"Almost done."_

I gave sharp sigh and returned to my bottle sorting. I had only one chance to get the information I needed to get from my mother, and I couldn't afford for the moment to pass me by today.

Finally, I heard her final customer's footsteps and turned my head sharply. My mother was following closely behind the woman, saying, "So remember, brew the tea _three_ times a day; No more, no less. It should help both you and your sons and fix you up in no time!"

The customer took her leave, and I readied myself to make my move…but to my dismay, Mother turned and instead had her attention solely on Henry.

Looking up from his book, he smiled and remarked, "Busy day today."

"Aye," she replied, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "All of them with a cough. There's a sickness going around, so take care when you go into town as not to catch it yourself and spread it further."

"Noted," Henry said with a nod.

Mother swept around the table to stand over Henry's chair, smiling as she looked down at his book. I too craned my neck from across the room to see what it was he was reading. _Mythologies of Creatures of the Deep._

"Find anything useful?" she asked.

Henry shook his head. "Nothing lately. I mostly read it for nostalgia. I always loved this book."

Mother grinned. "Aye, cover to cover since you were small. It always was your favorite."

"I always liked the Kraken best," he said, flipping through the pages with care. "After hearing all of Mother's stories about battling it, I liked to look at the illustrations and wonder what it must have been like." Distantly, he then murmured, "It made me feel closer to Father."

I watched as Mother's brow furrowed as empathy and pain spread across her face. But Henry soon brightened, looking up at her cheerfully, saying, "It was the first thing I asked Father when I met him, you know. I bombarded him with questions about how he managed to escape the beast _twice!_ Mother had to practically pry me away from him, I was so excited."

Mother then gave a small smile and laid a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Take it."

"What?"

"The book. It's yours if you want it."

Henry was shocked. "Are you certain?"

"I have no further use for it," Mother said with a shrug. "If it means so much for you, I'd rather you keep it."

Though a heartfelt sentiment, this act of charity made my stomach feel like it was twisted in knots. Despite Mother insisting to Elizabeth, Henry and I that we would continue our research tirelessly together nearly two years before, Mother had remained oddly distant from it all, letting the rest of us continue our work while she always seemed to busy herself with other tasks. Whenever one would ask her a question or postulate a theory, her answers were vague and unhelpful. Giving up one of her volumes was another sign of her giving up the fight to get Will and James back. It wasn't that she didn't want them safe and restored to normal, it was that Father's words had cut her to her core, for she hadn't been the same since. Her passion was all but gone, and she wandered about the fortress like a ghost. She never went into town, further perpetrating the "Sea Witch of Shipwreck," rumors that followed me, as her daughter, every time I passed through. To me, she remained warm and loving as ever, but with a twinge of sorrow hanging in the air always. And whenever I mentioned my father, she was quick to change the subject as soon as she could.

Perhaps the most indicative of this change in her spirits was that she had never asked for the locket back; Calypso's silver crab music box with Father's ring looped around its chain. I had kept it since the second Return Day fiasco, where she had tossed it on the table in defeat. I had grabbed it that night before Henry and I tried to make our escape, and she hadn't spoken of it since. It was always around _my_ neck instead, where I kept it safe just in case she ever decided she wanted it back, though in all that time, she never once asked about it. It was as though she had divorced herself from her past life on the _Dutchman_ entirely, as though that was the only way she could cope with what had happened to her family.

I was stirred from my thoughts when I caught Henry giving me a pointed glare, motioning with his head to the left, where Mother was about to disappear back into her hospital. I suddenly snapped back to the task at hand, and hastily threw myself into the corner wall, intentionally knocking into a stack of coiled maps and sending them sprawling all over the floor. Mother stopped dead in her tracks at the commotion.

"Oops!" I feigned. "What an oaf I am! Better just…pick these up…" I tried not to make direct eye contact with Henry, who from the corner of my eyes I could see shaking his head at my terrible acting.

"Are you alright?" Mother asked. "Do you need any help?"

"No, no!" I said perhaps a little _too_ insistently, "No, I've got it! Carry on!"

She gave a small smile, then disappeared around the corner. _Perfect!_ I thought as I began to rummage through the chaotic mess of maps. I quickly found the one I was looking for, separated it from the rest, then as quickly as I could, coiled the others and placed them back in the corner in a haphazard heap. I then grabbed the map and pretended to read it for the first time, even though I had been studying it for a week now.

I wandered around the corner towards my mother's desk. "Mother?" I asked innocently. "What's this?" I laid the map out across her table.

She regarded it, looking at the markings in black ink depicting Shipwreck, then a thicker black line that had been drawn after the map's printing extending to an island that read, "St. Martin," then extended North all the way to London, England. "That's a map of the Atlantic," she calmly explained. Then, looking up at me in amusement, smirking, "And if you don't know that by now, then clearly I've taught you nothing."

"No, I know," I said, placing my finger on the two thick black lines. "What are _those?_ Was this a map you picked up off a trade, or…or maybe _you_ made those lines, or…?"

Mother folded her hands and placed them on the table in front of her, taking a deep breath. She cocked her head to the side, peering around me and asking with one eyebrow raised, "Seeking out the trident again, eh Henry?"

My face fell. She had seen right through my poor attempt at a ruse. Expertly, however, Henry replied with, "Don't ask me. I know nothing about it." The liar. It had been _his_ idea to seek out the trident in the first place! True, I had found this map, which I knew had to do with the trident's location, but up until then that had been my sole role for the search. However, Henry was acting wisely; The less likely we made it seem like Henry and I would ever work together, the less likely it would be that our Mothers would catch us before we had a chance to run off again.

Mother's eyes then landed on me. "You know very well what this is."

I sighed, taking a seat next to her. "But tell me again! I want to make sure I know _everything_ about the Map No Man Can Read."

She shook her head. "You already do. You know as much as I know. I had a diary with a ruby on the cover that claimed to be from the explorer Galileo. I hadn't the time to look into it, but I knew it contained secrets and most likely led to treasure. Barbossa came into the storeroom just weeks before Henry was born, looking for a diary to give to a woman. I gave him Galileo's diary, I saw him plan a course for St. Martin, then England, and that was that. It was only when I was aboard the _Dutchman_ that I read that Galileo sought the trident of Poseidon in his lifetime, a trident with the power to reverse all sea curses. The diary was said to contain a map that 'no man could read,' but deciphering it would lead right to the trident. I of course wanted it to free all of us onboard the _Dutchman,_ and we searched regularly for the trident, for the map, _anything._ I drew on this map to remind myself where Barbossa had gone, in hopes of finding him or the diary, but we found nothing."

I narrowed my eyes. "But the diary didn't go to him. It went to a woman, correct?"

"We don't know that," she corrected. "He wanted a plain diary for her, and I was the one who pushed him to take Galileo's, telling him to look into its secrets. There's no way to know if he actually gave it away or kept it for himself."

"But he still _could_ have given it away," I reasoned.

"Aye, but to which woman? He said nothing about her to me. It's been twenty years since then. She could be dead or have traveled anywhere in the world, pawned it off for money because of the ruby embedded in the cover, _anything._ "

I began to wring my hands in frustration. "But the map," I said, trying to redirect the conversation, "It goes to St. Martin first, _then_ to England. Didn't Barbossa ultimately become a Navy privateer when he went to London?"

"Aye."

"Then what do you reckon he went to St. Martin for, if not to bestow the diary upon his intended recipient?" She didn't answer me, so I continued excitedly, "It _must_ be there! It's at least a start!"

She only shook her head sadly. "Anna, I've been there," she murmured. "You were only two years old at the time, and I left you with your father. I searched for _days_ and came up empty. I would have found this woman had she been there, and I would have found the diary if Barbossa had left it there as well."

Voices outside towards the docks then drew her attention from me, which therein marked the end of this conversation. She stood, preparing to go see who was preparing to make port, saying to me, "It was a good path, but it's already been traveled. Keep searching for others."

I didn't look at her as she left, my eyes still fixated on the map. This wasn't all. There _had_ to be more…

"Henry, it's nearly sunset. Best get home to Elizabeth, now," Mother cooed as she left the room.

Henry waited until she was definitely out of earshot, then said, "Well _that_ went well."

I turned around to him with a grimace. "Do shut up."

He stood, coming to the table and leaning over it to examine it closer. "Well, at least we know that its very likely the book was there at some point. It's a start, and I think a pretty reliable heading."

I shook my head, uncertain. "But what happens if we _don't_ find it, Henry? What then?"

He gave a small half smile, which somehow managed to lift my spirits slightly. "We do what Rose said; we try a new path. We find your uncle and convince him to help us, we travel all around the world, I'll even join the Navy if that's what it takes! As long as we're off this island, we're much closer than we've ever been."

I must have still looked unconvinced, for he waited a moment, then said, "You're going to have to start thinking up boat names."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because in the time you were fooling around with those bottles, I calculated that I could put a bit more money from my payments at the blacksmith shop into our fund without my mother realizing it." He grinned wisely as he said, "Anna, that boat will be ours in only six more weeks!"

My mouth fell agape at this revelation. Though we both inwardly wished we could leave at once, six weeks was far better than five months, as he had originally thought. Soon, we would be on the seas, that much closer to our shared goal. I would have embraced him our of sheer joy if Mother at that moment hadn't reappeared in the doorway to the storeroom, a hushed tone in her voice.

"Put the map away," she said to me, then to both of us, "This conversation ends here, understood?"

"Aye," Henry and I both said, though we were completely confused. All made sense immediately however, when I saw who had arrived at Shipwreck Cove; a familiar face who Mother had insisted could never know about what had happened to the _Flying Dutchman._

"Grandfather!" I exclaimed as I ran into the warm embrace of the infamous Captain Edward Teague.


	100. The Anna Diaries - 7 - A Setback

Grandfather's visits were sporadic and always unexpected, though I treasured them…and not only because with each return, he brought back exotic souvenirs from his many travels. That night, we ate dinner, Mother, him, and I, where he regaled us with his various observations and encounters, then would inevitably ask the question Mother and I most dreaded: "Where's that husband of yours, Rosie?"

And then Mother would reply with her rehearsed responses she gave him every time, though the order changed each time; "He fares well." "You two just barely missed each other!" "He speaks of you often." This would be enough to tide him over, and he would move on to talking about himself once again.

Ever since I was small, my mother and I had been in agreement that whenever Grandfather was around, Father was always, "in the Locker," or "traveling abroad." She was convinced that if knew about the danger, he would act rashly and try to save the _Dutchman_ himself. So? Grandfather was kept in the dark.

In the morning, he was gone to manage the restocking of his ship, but I caught him in the Brethren Court meeting room later in the afternoon, sipping at a flask of what I assumed was rum.

"Annie…" he croaked as I walked towards him. "Have I already remarked at how big you've grown?"

I grinned as I plopped into the chair next to him. "Twice already, but I don't mind!"

"It still catches me by surprise each time I see you," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "And how you look more and more like your father."

"Really?" I asked.

He cocked his head to the side. "Well, surely you must see it."

I quickly caught my mistake and tried to make up for it. "I mean…I suppose I don't compare myself very much to him."

He seemed to not take notice of my misstep, however. "Consider it a compliment," he said, pointing to his own face. "The less you look like me and Rosie, the less chance you have at ending up looking like _this._ " He took a moment, then said, "Now go on, tell me what you've been up to! I hardly hear a thing about my only grandchild. …if you _are_ my only grandchild, that is. Lord knows what Jack's been up to lately."

I laughed at his joke, but hesitated when his eyes turned to me, expecting an answer. What could I say to him? _What have I been up to? Oh well, let's see… I've been spending the past two years doing nothing but planning and training for a day to betray my mother and possibly endanger my life._ Anything close to the truth would be detrimental. So, I only found myself saying, "Oh, just…helping out around the island."

"I hear you're quite the writer," he said, "That true?"

I shrugged. "I'd like to think so."

"And what is it you want out of life?"

What did I want to do with my writing? I hadn't the faintest idea. "I'm…not sure," I answered.

He rephrased his query. "When it comes time to leave this world, what is it that you want to leave behind?"

I took a long pause before answering his question, reflecting deeply on my response. I wanted a great many things out of life, but rarely did I think about their lasting impact. So finally, I replied, "I suppose… I suppose I want to have helped restore a bit order to the chaos that is this world."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My, that's an undertaking," he remarked. "But a noble mission, I must say."

"If more people tried to live like that, maybe there would be less disorder to resolve," I postulated.

"Indeed." He was clearly impressed. I then watched as he leaned forward, reaching behind him for his coin pouch and procuring three gold coins. "Here," he said, extending them out to me. "Restoring order is no easy feat, so save these for when the waters get rough."

I gingerly took them from him, my mouth agape. These coins meant more to me than he knew—they meant Henry and I were even closer to getting our boat. "Grandfather!" I exclaimed. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this will help!"

"Help with what?" he asked.

Once again, I found myself saying too much. I opened my mouth to make another excuse and deflect his curiosity, but at that moment a thought occurred to me; What would get us to our destinations faster, a fishing boat or the _Misty Lady?_ What would ensure our safety, a fishing boat or the _Misty Lady?_ Who would be more equipped to navigate the oceans, two novices or Captain Teague? I could hear Mother's voice ringing in my ears, warning me never to tell him about our situation. But then again, what if he was the very resource Henry and I needed? What if he could help us free our fathers faster than we ever could have dreamed on doing ourselves? So, hesitantly, I said, "A boat. Henry and I…we were planning on buying a boat."

"For what?" he asked simply.

I took a deep breath. "Can…can I tell you something?"

He furrowed his brow and leaned forward in interest. "Of course," he replied. "Go on, what is it?"

"I…Mother doesn't want you to know," I stammered.

His interest peaked. "Go on."

I swallowed my apprehension, and began. "I haven't seen Father since I was little. He and the _Dutchman_ are trapped on the ocean floor."

His eyes went wide. "By who?"

"We don't know."

"For how long?"

"Twelve years."

"Where?" His voice croaked in fury.

"Only a few leagues from here. They caught us on Return Day, when Will came to shore after his ten year servitude at sea. Mother and I got away, but only Will and Father remain down there. Henry has been there. He's charted it."

"And the boat?"

I felt myself shying away from his intense anger. "We've been saving to buy one. We've been preparing for years now to go save them, just Henry and I. Mother fears for any mortal's safety, that's why we haven't gone sooner and why we didn't tell you." I held up my hand which held the coins, my hands shaking and making them rattle in my palm. "This money would help us get it. But perhaps, with your ship and crew, we could work together to—"

With that, Grandfather rose, then marched out of the room. I instantly knew I had made a mistake. "No!" I cried, racing to catch up with him. "Mother told me never to say a thing! You can't tell her you know!"

He acted as though I wasn't there, so I was left to just follow along behind his brisk pace, my heart throbbing in my chest.

"Rose!" he called once he entered the storeroom.

Mother had just been wrapping up a trade with a customer, and once they had cleared the room, she came around the corner, clearly taken aback by her father's tense demeanor.

"Where's James?" he asked curtly. I kept my eyes downcast, cursing myself for my idiocy in telling him anything.

Mother cooly replied, "In the Locker with the _Dutchman_. There's much left to be charted and many more prisoners of Jones to set free."

"That's interesting," he growled. "How are they to do that if they are being kept prisoners themselves?"

I dared look up at my mother then, although I wished I hadn't. Her eyes gleamed in fury as she said, "How could you?"

"No," Grandfather corrected her. "How could _you_? Don't blame Anna for this, I commend her! How long did you think you could keep the act up without my knowing?"

Mother looked back to him, saying levelly, "Until I found a way to free them—"

"And how is that going?" he asked. "Where's your husband? Where's Anna's father?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is more complicated than anyone could have imagined. They're trapped!"

"So don't ask for help!" he spat back incredulously. "Instead you keep this to yourself. Tell _me,_ tell Jack, tell—"

"'Tell Jack?'" Mother yelled back at him, throwing her arms out at her sides. " _Where's_ Jack? You know as well as I do that he's just as he always is; Never around!"

He shook his head in disbelief. "Rosie, how many times have I been back here in the past twelve years, and you never said a word! We could help you!"

"Exactly," she said, her voice shaking in intensity. "That is precisely why I don't want either of you to know. You're _mortal._ " She shook her head stubbornly as she stepped closer to him, her voice low. "Father, I've gone there myself. The first time, the _Dutchman_ fired at my ship. It was destroyed. Henry nearly _died._ The second time it took everything in my power to break a current which disguises their location, then raise the ship to the surface, and when I did, I saw firsthand what horrors have befallen them." Her voice trembled as tears came to her eyes. "I don't even know where to begin."

He stepped closer to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright," he murmured, clearly pained by his daughter's unhappiness. "I'll find away to get him home to you."

Mother sat for a moment with this thought, but then suddenly changed. "No," she protested, flinching away from his touch. "I can't put anyone else in danger."

"Why not?"

"I'm immortal, I can't be harmed," she explained, just as she had recited to me over and over again. "This is my burden to bear, not yours. I will find my own means and go about fixing it myself."

"Clearly that strategy is not working," Grandfather emphasized, "For here's Anna, a little girl searching for her father…does that _not_ sound familiar?"

He meant her. Upon meeting Jack, Rose was introduced to their shared father, Teague, who in the interest of preserving Jack's already limited respect for him, renounced her as his daughter, instead calling her, "a gypsy changeling," and leaving her to be raised on her own until she ultimately found him again herself many years later. Clearly, his meaning wasn't lost on her, for she replied caustically, "Well, it looks like the cycle repeats itself. Two generations of fathers have let their daughters down."

Grandfather looked hurt by her words, but still protested, "James didn't leave Anna by choice."

"Didn't he?" Mother marched over to me and reached around my neck, holding up the locket and taking hold of Father's ring on the chain. "He gave _this_ back to me. He said…" Her voice trailed as she looked at me. Not wishing to relive the memories, she only said, "Horrible things. He has given up. He has given up on himself _and_ on us."

Grandfather persisted, "So then, so must _you_? Rose, you know how stubborn that boy is. Just as you refuse my help, so he is refusing yours. It's to protect you. Respect his wishes and let someone _else_ do the work for once! If you take this all upon your shoulders, you'll be crushed beneath the weight."

Mother persisted, "I can't let you do that."

"What if we go together?" I asked, swallowing back my fear at getting involved in the row. "We go aboard the _Misty Lady,_ and with Henry's navigation and Mother's powers, we work in tandem? Isn't it worth a shot?"

Grandfather sent a pointed glance towards Mother, as if to say, " _Well?"_

She gave a slight shake of her head, deflating my spirits. "Not until I know for certain what's out there." With that, she turned to go back towards her desk.

"You are oddly hypocritical," Grandfather called after her, stopping her motion. "You spend your life chasing an absent father, yet when given the opportunity to reverse the absence of your child's father, you hesitate."

Angry tears poured down her cheeks as she turned and hissed, "No, I spent my life chasing an absent father _and_ mother. I'm at least one parent more to Anna than I ever had. And to that end, James is right; I must do what's right by her first, even if it's at his expense."

He shook his head stoically. "I'm not a part of those plans. Let me help you."

Mother wiped her face with her hands, then straightened herself. "If you want to go and be killed by whatever's out there, be my guest," she said, face hardened. "Just leave Anna out of it."

With that, she turned and began reorganizing her desk, as though neither of us were there. Grandfather turned to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, love," he said sadly. "I can only imagine what hurt you must feel, but we must respect your mother's wishes."

He turned to go back to his ship, but I could have sworn that I saw him cast a wink back at me before he took his leave. I couldn't tell if that was what my mind was willing itself to believe or if it had actually occurred, but Mother icily ordered me to go to my room before I had a chance to analyze it too much.

Disturbed and feeling incredibly guilty for going behind my mother's back for nothing and potentially harming her relationship with Grandfather, I jotted down what I had done in my journal until my eyes grew heavy. I then laid back on my bed, running my fingers along the circular shape of father's ring before eventually drifting into a silent slumber.

* * *

Henry woke me with a firm shake of the shoulder. "Anna!" he cried, his voice trembling. "Anna, we need you downstairs at once!"

I was alarmed by his tone. Upon first seeing that it was early in the morning before the sun had even risen, I thought that perhaps the three of us, Grandfather, him, and myself, were about to make our getaway in the _Misty Lady_. But when I saw Henry's grim pallor, I knew it was something far more serious.

I leapt to my feet and raced barefoot down the stairs behind him and into the storeroom, where I was met by four men; Two of them were soggy, sooty, and blood-spattered, but relatively unscathed. Two more were in cots with horrible wounds, blood dripping onto the storeroom floor. But the image of the fifth man, who was clutching his bloodied stomach and was being tended to with the utmost haste by Mother sent shivers down my spine; It was Grandfather.

I rushed to his side, Henry on my heels. Mother looked up at me, swiftly ordering, "Anna, get the water basin. Henry, fetch your mother. Make haste!"

We both obeyed, Henry sprinting out of the room. My head still dizzy from sleep, I stumbled over to the water basin and fetched it and a cloth, returning them to Mother. She turned to the two men who were still standing. "You both. Grab a bucket and tread up the path to the freshwater spring. Bring it back and clean up your comrades. I'll be with you shortly, and more hands are on the way."

"Aye, ma'am," they replied, and raced off.

"Father," Mother said, trying to keep her voice level despite her panicked expression. "Father, it's me. Rose." His eyes were vacant, though his breathing persisted. She took hold of his wrists, which still were pressed against his wounded stomach, and tried to shift them. He could not be moved, however. "Father," my mother tried again. "You need to let me see your wounds, alright? We'll fix this!"

Finally, we together managed to pry his arms to his side, but in doing so, the blood which oozed from his stomach began to drip wildly to the floor. "Another cloth!" Mother ordered, once the one I had brought over was quickly soaked through.

By that time, the men had returned and had begun to help the other injured men. Elizabeth raced through the door, also clearly just having been awoken. "What's happened?" she cried.

"I'm not sure," Mother responded. "I need you to aid the other men while Anna and I tend to my father. Can you do that?"

"Of course," Elizabeth replied. As she began to get to work, she furiously looked up at Henry. "What did you _do_?"

Henry's eyes were as wide as saucers. "The _Misty Lady…_ they sunk her."

"Who?"

"The _Dutchman,"_ he stammered. "We saw them…they…fired. But it wasn't them…it wasn't—"

"Henry!" Elizabeth cried, shaking him from is hysteria. "You went aboard the _Misty Lady?"_

"Teague came to me and asked me what I knew," he replied. "He made an offer for us to voyage out there together and retrieve them. I couldn't refuse, I—"

"You could have!" Elizabeth spat. "None of this would have happened! Henry, my god…"

"I know," he said, hanging his head low. "I'm…I'm so sorry."

"It was like the ship was acting on its own, ma'am," one of the lucid sailors reported to Elizabeth. "The crew…they was just standing together at the helm, but none of them's what was firing at us. They're shadows, ma'am. That's what's keeping 'em."

"Aye," the other corroborated. "We fired back, not to sink or kill, of course. But they caught our mast and put a hole straight in our brig. Then the whole ship began to quiver. It was like…the shadows…they had come aboard."

"The ship just…crumbled beneath us," Henry said shakily. "More cannon fire. Many were hit…we're all that's left."

They were silent for awhile, then the first man continued, "We's all that what's left. Me n' Charles caught a longboat, pulled Murphy n' Addison aboard, found yer boy with the Cap'n, ma'am. We came straight back."

Henry and I exchanged a glance. Though I was furious with him for trying to leave the island without me, my face was frozen in shock. He only looked sadly back at me.

I turned back to my mother as she continued to dab at Grandfather's horribly marred torso. She was silent, completely unfazed by the report Henry and the former crew of the newly sunken ship had just reported. There was no time to be mad at Teague, scold Henry, or weep for what was lost; Grandfather's life was at risk.

"We'll just get you cleaned up," Mother was cooing peacefully to him, "I'll stitch you back together, and you'll be right as rain in just a few days. Back on the sea again in no time, I promise."

His breathing grew more staggered and inconstant as he struggled to move his head so that his eyes could look into Mother's. "I saw…the boy," he gagged, choking on his own blood that I raced to mop up with a cloth.

"What boy?" she asked.

"James," he gagged. "He's still…waiting."

"Shh," Mother calmed him, "Don't try to speak," she said. "I'm glad you found James."

He shook his head wildly and uncontrollably to emphasize his next words; "Wasn't him. …don't blame him."

Mother's eyes filled with tears. "I won't," she whispered.

Grandfather then tensed his shoulder muscles, writhing in pain.

"No!" Mother said in alarm. "He's drifting!" Looking to me, she handed me the cloth, saying, "Maintain pressure. I'll be right back!" She then darted off to retrieve her surgical kit, leaving me and Grandfather alone.

With his free hand, he placed a firm grip over the hand I had dabbing at his abdomen.

"… _Jones,_ " he whispered to me, his eyes widened in horror.

My heart raced at this. "What?" I asked him. "No, you…you must be mistaken. Jones—"

"JONES," he growled insistently. "I heard him! He's got them!"

I waited for more from him, but when his mouth began to spew more blood, I calmly conceded, "Alright, Grandfather, alright. Just rest now, yes?"

But he was restless. He took his hand off of mine, reaching for his belt and ripping his full coin pouch off of it. Hand shaking, he pressed it into my hands. "Take it," he said, struggling to form the words. "For the boat."

Tears poured down my face. My hand squeezed his and the pouch as I whispered, "I will, Grandfather. I will."

My mother returned shortly thereafter, and I pocketed the pouch and returned to assisting her as she worked. He was peaceful for a time, still struggling for breath while my mother tried to find a way to stitch the hopelessly torn open skin back together. After a time, he moved his hand to stop her from working, taking both of her hands in his. "I'm…sorry," he whispered.

Mother began to cry at this. "No, no, don't talk like that," she said. "We're almost done now, I promise."

We were nowhere close to done. I finally began to see that this was hopeless; My Grandfather was about to die.

He knew it too. "I'm sorry…I left."

"None of that matters now," Mother insisted. "Remember what you told me? You'd do right by me?" She squeezed his hands in hers. "You _did._ You did for both me and Jack, Father. And James. And Anna. You _did._ "

His breathing slowed after that. It slowed until I couldn't see his chest moving anymore. It slowed until I saw his hands go limp in Mother's.

And that's what I saw Mother collapse, sobbing into his shoulder. That's when I felt Elizabeth pull me into her chest and lead me back upstairs and away. That's when I heard Henry whimpering to everyone and no one all at the same time, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

I don't remember much else from that night. My memories blessedly end there. However, I wrote something that morning in my diary that continues to haunt me to this day:

"How do people live with themselves, killing other people? Looking into another person's eyes and consciously taking that life away. That person who loved and was loved, and laughed and caused laughter, and cried and caused tears. How does one make the decision in a split second to take that all away, to wipe it clean from the Earth? No more loving, no more laughter, no more tears. Just…a memory.  
Father's killed many people. He's had to. So did Grandfather.  
I made my first kill tonight. I'm a murderer. By telling him the truth…I killed Edward Teague."

* * *

We buried Grandfather on a bluff that overlooks the Cove. If a pirate as formidable as Edward Teague could not die at sea, we found it at least fitting that he forever look down upon the place where he presided over the Code he loved so much.

Henry blamed himself. He wouldn't stop apologizing to Mother and I, as though that was the only thing he felt he can do to make things better. But it wasn't him, I knew this. The only blame I could place upon him was for leaving without me, but the outcome would have been the same regardless.

Elizabeth and Henry left Mother and I alone with the grave after a time, walking together back towards the fortress where they were to meet us for dinner later on.

I looked up at Mother to gauge her reaction. She hadn't cried since the moments when Grandfather had died, but her face was pale and her eyes were nearly closed with exhaustion. At her appearance, I felt the guilt rise up inside me again and the tears spill over my eyelids. "I understand…if you blame me," I sobbed.

Mother's face twisted in pain as she regarded me. She wiped away a few tears as she cupped my face in her hands and turned it upwards to look at her. "Never," she whispered. "This is why I wouldn't tell him sooner; I knew he would go off and do something stupid." She sighed. "All he ever wanted was to make things right between the both of us. And knowing how much I loved your father… In his mind, saving him would set everything right, and prove to me that he loved me." Her lip quivered as the emotions began to well inside her. "The fool," she murmured. But she looked sincerely into my eyes, placing her hands on my shoulders as she said plaintively, "But I would never blame you for this. Nor Henry, or anyone else. He acted on his own volition. This was the outcome."

I began to cry harder. "If I would have just listened to you…all along, I…"

She let me cry for a time, pulling me into her embrace. Finally, she said, "Do you see now why I can't let you go galavanting off on your own? We are dealing with dangers none of us can be prepared for." She pulled me away to look into my eyes once more. "I have just lost my father. I have gone through losing many more. Don't you ever ask me to go through losing you in this way. I could not bear it."

"But," I protested, wiping my face with my sleeve. "What about Father? Will? How will they ever go free without us risking our lives for theirs?"

Mother took a deep breath, then looked away to the fresh mound of dirt that had been unearthed for her father's body. I saw as her eyes traced the shape, up to the cross that Henry had welded together from Grandfather's cutlass. She finally began to let tears fall again as she whispered, "Anna, I need you to start believing something. Because it's what he wants, and…I'm afraid we must start honoring it."

My heart raced as her dark eyes bore into mine.

"Your father, James Norrington," she began, two fresh tears falling from each eye, "Died 21 years ago onboard the _Flying Dutchman._ He was killed as an Admiral under the British Crown by Bootstrap Bill Turner." Her breathing grew staggered and her face tensed as she sobbed, "He died as a traitor, freeing Elizabeth and the crew of the _Empress._ He…he leaves behind a bastard daughter he bore with a mistress he kept in Port Royal. His body was thrown to the sea by Davy Jones and was never recovered." Together, we wept as she said with finality, "He's gone…and he's never coming back."

She tried to pull me into another embrace, but I moved back from her reach. "Anna," she said. "There's nothing more that can be done."

I opened my mouth to protest, but only another sob was expelled. My feet wanted to fly from that place, so I turned and ran as fast as I could down the hill, past Henry and Elizabeth, through the storeroom, up the stairs and straight into my room.

I sat on the floor, my back against the wall facing my bed. From my vantage point, I could stare at the crates of cargo and supplies I had accumulated in preparation for my voyage with Henry. For hours, I deliberated on what to do, fighting with myself on what move to make.

I knew I would refuse to give up. I refused to adopt that story as my own. I was not a 20 year-old bastard child of a Navy traitor. I was the 14 year-old daughter of James Norrington, future Captain of the _Flying Dutchman._ Though not alive, he wasn't dead, and he was suffering an agonizing existence on the ocean floor. My Grandfather died trying to save him, and I vowed to do the same if it meant setting things right and "restoring order to the chaos."

But…then again, I understood Mother's plight, and I could not imagine what heartache she felt. If I died, she would be utterly destroyed.

 _…_ _I suppose the only solution is to stay alive then,_ I thought _._

I waited until nightfall and I could no longer hear Mother's footsteps creaking through the halls. I then darted to my journal, flipping open to the page where I still kept the folded note I had originally left for my mother on my first escape attempt. The words still rang true, and so I slid it under her bedroom door. I dragged my provisions outside to the docks, then marched to the lighthouse in the dead of night.

I snuck into the lighthouse through the back window, and quietly tiptoed into Henry's room, who I was unsurprised to find still awake.

"Let's go," I said simply.

He shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I untied Grandfather's coin pouch from my belt and tossed it to him. Hearing the clinking of the coins against each other, his eyes went wide as he understood my meaning.

I nodded in affirmation. "Let's get our boat."


	101. The Anna Diaries - 8 - To St Martin

Mr. Marshall was initially irked by being awakened from his slumber in the middle of the night, but when he saw how much of Grandfather's money Henry and I were fronting for his old fishing boat, he quickly changed his tune. He offered to help us rig it, but Henry and I had no time to tarry, and readied to make sail just as we had planned meticulously every single day for the past eighteen months. Henry got inside first, then was careful to help me up. One single brush against the ocean would alert my mother as to our location immediately, and we would find ourselves with another failed attempt. Only this time, if we failed, there would be no possible way we could try again. There was no room for error. Before making our leave, I turned to Mr. Marshall and paid him more of the money that Henry and I originally intended for the boat in exchange for his discretion; If anyone (meaning our mothers) came asking about us, he was to tell them nothing about our business. Only once Marshall gave us his word did we take our leave.

We readied the sails and pushed against the tide without much trouble, then skirted the island back into the Cove, where I had moved all of the goods I had stored for our voyage out by the docks. I stayed aboard as Henry leapt out to hand me crate after crate, which I then stowed in our limited cargo bay. We worked quickly and silently, as we hadn't a minute to spare. Once everything was stowed, we turned back towards the open ocean, I on the wheel and Henry with my mother's map and a compass on his lap. So deep in concentration were we that we hardly spoke a word as we had worked, but once we were fully ready to depart and only had to sail Eastward out of the vicinity of Shipwreck, we were completely silent, almost afraid to breathe as though even on the middle of the ocean we could be heard.

I kept checking over my shoulder, watching my home grow more and more distant, the faint shimmer from the lighthouse being our sole indication that the island was still even there. I felt apprehension stir within me as I thought about how Mother and Elizabeth would first react upon finding us gone. Mother would awaken first before Elizabeth, and would therefore be the first to realize that I was gone upon finding my note. She would then most likely transform to the dinghy in homes of catching us, but would still find it anchored in the Cove harbor. Then she would race to the lighthouse in a frenzy, alerting Elizabeth that we were gone. Together, they would scour the island and the waters surrounding the island on all sides, but we would be long gone by then. The fear would destroy them both in different ways, but I feared for my mother the most. She had just lost her father, had no idea where her brother was, and was helpless to save her husband…could she handle losing me as well?

As though reading my thoughts, Henry said quietly from behind me, "At least they have each other. And that same notion will be comforting to them: You and I have each other."

I nodded solemnly, then gave a wry smile as I turned to face him. "Aye…as long as you don't cross me. I'd hate to have to make you walk the plank, ya scurvy dog!"

Henry snorted. "Well, _someone's_ certainly embracing their inner pirate."

"It runs in our blood," I said with a shrug.

"Wait a minute now," he protested. "I thought you didn't believe in inherited qualities from blood. I recall you making fun of my suggestion that I have my father's knack for sword-fighting not but a few days ago."

I rolled my eyes and sighed, shaking my head with a smile. "Well…maybe _sometimes._ I just…" I trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "I don't really have a way to know what of me is just _me,_ and what is…his." I looked up at Henry, as I finished with, "Grandfather said I look like him. I have no way to know if that were true."

Henry's expression grew dark at the mention of Grandfather. He stood and moved to my side, his breath heavy and his eyes downcast. Sensing his impending apology for his role in my grandfather's death, I cut him off before he could start. "Henry," I murmured, laying a hand on his arm. "Please stop blaming yourself. No one holds you at fault but yourself. Forgive _yourself._ "

He nodded slowly. "I just should have…done more, I suppose."

I shook my head. "There was nothing that could have changed what happened. We need to be at our best right now, and how can you be if you're at war with yourself?" When he didn't respond, I countered with something that I knew would get a rise out of him. "I need my First Mate at his best."

Sure enough, he sneered, giving me a sidelong glance. "And who said that _you_ were Captain of this mission?"

I grinned mischievously. "You didn't claim the position, and we technically bought the boat with _my_ money, so…"

Henry opened his mouth to retort, but then something on the sea caught his eye. His expression fell and his brow furrowed, as he raced away from me back toward his map.

"What is it?" I asked. He only glanced rapidly between the map and our surroundings. "Henry! What?"

He raced back to me, and with his voice low, he said, "We're in the spot. This is where the _Dutchman_ lies."

My eyes widened and grip tightened on the wheel. "What—what should I do?" I whispered. "And why on Earth did you lead us here?"

"It's the only way out!" he explained. "Just keep a steady course. We'll be past them in a moment."

We didn't speak another word after that moment, jumping at every creak of the ship as though we were expecting to be taken down by whatever mysterious force held the vessel resting below us. I remember a chill running through me as I realized how close I was to my father, yet how far away we were, separated by leagues upon leagues of ocean. Could he see our ship passing over him from below? Was he wondering who was aboard? Would he ever guess that it was Henry and I, on our way to rescue him?

Henry finally spoke first after a time, saying, "We're clear. We made it through," wherein we both breathed a massive sigh of relief. But making it through meant something else as well: It meant that we were now fully out of sight from Shipwreck. He and I exchanged an excited yet also frightened glance as it finally sank in that we were on our own adventure, just as our parents had undertaken so fearlessly when they were our age. It was our turn to make a difference, and it was solely within our power to either succeed or fail. The notion was terrifying.

Henry carried out a few tasks onboard to help make the rest of our long voyage to St. Martin the swiftest, then asked if I wished that he relieve me on sailing duties. I replied that no, I was already fully awake. Any hope of sleep was a far-off notion, and that rather, he should take the first shift. Using a few empty sacks, he made out a sleeping area on our deck, then settled in to rest.

After a few moments, I thought that I was alone with my thoughts. I started, however, when suddenly I heard his voice cut through the silent night air one final time.

"Anna?"

"What?"

"The name."

"What name?"

"The name of the boat. Have you given it any thought?"

I sighed. "Honestly, Henry, I've been a little busy."

"I know, I know," he said gently. "I just…I had an option."

"Alright," I replied. "What is it?"

"What about the _Dauntless?_ It's been out of commission for over twenty years now, and I just thought that with how big of an undertaking our journey is, we're going to have to be 'dauntless.'" There was another reason he wasn't mentioning—that was the name of my father's ship that had been sunk in a hurricane, forever changing his life. I said nothing, touched by the sentiment and overcome with emotions still unsettled. "Anna?" he asked, unnerved by my silence.

"Yes," I said, coming to. "I…I think it's perfect."

* * *

The _Dauntless_ wasn't a perfect boat. It creaked with warped, waterlogged floorboards and had a slight leak in a few places that I was sure to keep far away from, yet it still did us well. Our biggest concern was coming across another pirate, Spanish, or English ship who would try to attack or sack us. Thankfully, we appeared to be penniless children on a fishing expedition, so any passersby paid us no mind.

Midway through our week-long journey, Henry and I had our plan upon reaching St. Martin solidified; dock, search tirelessly for either the diary or information about the diary, and not give up until we were certain that we had exhausted our resources. Our conversations then moved onto more postulation about our fathers' situation, and how the trident would reverse their fate.

"'Begin at the end,'" Henry said one day, his fingers twirling repetitiously around the necklace Will had given him. "That's what my father told Rose. What do you suppose that means?"

"It means nothing to me," I replied. Then a thought occurred to me… I had realized that I had forgotten to tell Henry what my grandfather had told me as he lay dying. "Hold on a moment…Grandfather! Before he died, he said that Davy Jones was the one to sink the _Misty Lady._ That he had heard him! I thought at first they were just the ramblings of a man consumed by pain, but what if they aren't? What if they're _real_?"

Henry shook his head. "That's not possible. I was there, I certainly heard voices, but Jones couldn't possibly be among them. Mother and Father were there, they saw him die!"

I shrugged. "'Begin at the end?' The end of your father's life is the beginning of their imprisonment?"

He considered this for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't see it. The Curse explicitly states that there can only be _one_ Captain of the _Flying Dutchman._ There's no way Jones could have returned." He looked at me sadly, saying, "I'm sorry, Anna. I think that Teague was simply confused."

I nodded, though I was still unconvinced. Grandfather was anything but senile, not even laying _dying_ could reverse that. He knew what he heard, and to him, it meant that Davy Jones had returned from his watery grave.

* * *

Days later, we made port in St. Martin's southernmost harbor. Tentatively, I stepped out onto the docks on unsteady sea legs, unaccustomed to the switch between land and sea. I knelt down to steady myself so that I wouldn't fall into the ocean as we tied off the _Dauntless,_ then together, Henry and I grasped onto each other as we struggled to walk straight past the bustling docks and into the main area of the town.

In many ways, it reminded us of Shipwreck; thatched roofs, buildings two floors high, dirt paths, squares with cobbled stonework, and locals everywhere. The main difference was that the company we now kept was not among pirates, but rather men and women of the Crown. Together, us disheveled, dirty Shipwreck-dwellers who hadn't seen a bath in over a week felt rather out of place as compared to the women in fine dresses and men in powdered wigs that walked past us with confused expressions at our appearance. Henry located a pail of stagnant water sitting outside a blacksmith shop that we quickly used to mop ourselves up, and I used what little remaining funds we had left to buy us a fresh change of clothes. This at least would preserve our anonymity for a time.

All that was left was to begin our search. "Where should we start?" Henry asked me.

"Anywhere, I suppose." I turned and walked away from him, catching sight of an approaching a woman carrying a pink parasol, holding a child by the arm. "Excuse me ma'am," I began. "You haven't happened upon a book with a red ruby inlaid in the cover, have you?"

The woman furrowed her brow. "No, I can't say that I have. Why? Did your father or brother misplace it?"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "No, I'm looking for it myself. It was given away, and—"

I was cut off by the woman growing close to me, her voice low and intense. "My dear girl, are you married? Has your husband permitted these actions?"

My jaw dropped in sheer astonishment. "Wh…my husband? What actions?"

"It is improper and _very_ dangerous for a young woman to read. You could be tried! Just the very thought that you—"

"Excuse me!" Henry, who had been listening to our interaction from afar, interrupted, racing to my side. "Yes, ma'am, I am her husband, yes." He put his hands on my shoulders, as though that somehow proved our matrimony.

My face twisted in utter horror as I glared up at him, but he quickly shot me a look that said, _Play along!_

The woman then turned on Henry. "And _you_ have permitted her to read?"

"I have, yes," Henry said calmly, though his eyes were wide with uncertainty.

The woman clicked her tongue, yanking her child closer to her skirts. "'Tis still improper, but if it's by your doing, then it is at least within standards of propriety." She looked to me. "No, I have not seen such a book. If I were you, I'd keep a better eye on your belongings." With a solid, _Humph!_ the woman turned away, leaving Henry and I completely bewildered on the street.

Henry still grasped my shoulders, which I quickly wriggled out of, shuddering at what had just unfolded. "'My husband!' The very thought! I'm 14 years old!"

Henry shook his head in disbelief. "Apparently, that's old enough here."

"And a woman not being permitted to read?" I asked. "That's just absurd." I looked around at the other people on the street. "I suppose that means _you_ should do the brunt of the questioning then, _dearest_."

He chuckled at my joke, but then grew somber as he spotted something. "Anna, over there!" he said, wandering towards a wooden board that had been erected in the town square. As we approached, we saw that it was completely covered with parchment that had been nailed up. All of them were 'Wanted' postings, many of them featuring renderings of pirates who were frequent visitors to Shipwreck. We exchanged horrified glances, then scoured the board for our mothers, fathers, anyone else that could spell danger for us. The only thing that we found was a posting that had been partially covered by a newer post. When Henry tore it away, our eyes went wide. Henry then fumbled around in his pockets for a piece of parchment he had brought with him from home. Once he finally procured it, he placed the two side by side. They were nearly identical.

WANTED: Jack Sparrow, the Notorious Pirate. Dead or Alive.

The bounty made us exchange a confused glance, however, as we saw that the original printing of a reward of 100 pounds had gradually decreased to but one.

"That's all?" I asked. "But…if he's so 'notorious,' why is the bounty so low?"

"Because the threat of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow has all but vanished," an unfamiliar voice said from behind us, sending me and Henry spinning around with a leap to face him. The newcomer was a British official, donning a large tricorn hat and a light-colored wig. His face was set and his eyes were beady and bore into us.

I gulped, stammering, "Apologies, sir. We were just…astonished by the amount of wanted criminals on this board."

He straightened his back, looking over our heads at it. "I know. Alarming, is it not? Aye, pirates abound in these areas. But one is never too young to do their civic duty." He looked back down at us, his gaze jumping from Henry's eyes to mine. "If you happen upon a face from these signs, you are to say something to one of my men at once, understood? Ask for Scarfield, and they'll direct you my way."

Henry and I gave a quick glance to each other to share in our uncertainty. He recovered quickly, however, turning back to the board and pointing at the image of my Uncle. "This pirate as well? Even though he's not considered a threat?"

Scarfield snorted. "Though that one is fairly inconsequential, that doesn't mean he is absolved of his crimes. I'd relish being the one to finally succeed in hanging him, if he hasn't already died."

I narrowed my eyes, inwardly seething at the dig. Did this man know my father? Was he making a reference to the fact that my father had let Jack get away when Will helped him escape from Port Royal?

Henry was thinking rationally, however, not letting personal matters get the better of him, as I was. "'Hasn't already died?' What do you mean by that, sir?"

"There are conflicting accounts that render his fate uncertain," Scarfield replied. My blood ran cold at the thought that the reason for my uncle's extended absence was because he was dead. My mother could have been laboring under the assumption that he was safe and alive all this time when he could very well be anything but. Scarfield continued, however, with, "He has a grave on the island, though whether or not the skeleton within is actually him is up for debate. Sparrow hasn't been a threat since the days of the War on Piracy, so even if he is somehow still kicking, his best days are behind him. There are more prevalent dangers on our shores." He then leaned over us, placing a steady finger on a posting depicting a girl with fair skin and dark hair. "WANTED: The Brazen Witch Carina Smyth, Sorceress and Temptress, Advocate for Women's Education."

Henry and I exchanged another knowing glance, which read, _"I suppose the punishment for a freely educated woman is as steep as we were told."_

"If you spot this wench," Scarfield proceeded, "Alert one of my men at once. She's an untrustworthy witch, spreading her lies and trickery to innocent townspeople. She's currently in hiding, and when we find her, she will hang for her crimes." He gazed earnestly at us. "Can I count on you both to serve in your civic duty?"

Henry and I were silent at first, until his frightening glare sent us whimpering, "Oh aye," and "Yes, certainly, um…sir."

"Good," he chirped. "After all, children are the future." He then squinted, eyeing Henry up and down. "Speaking of which, lad, have you ever considered joining the Navy?"

"Can't say that I have, sir," Henry stammered.

"Well you should. A strapping young lad like you, adventure on the high seas, more money than you can dream of… It would do you good, boy. Consider enlisting."

With that, he turned on his heel and was off, meandering out of sight down a narrow alley.

Once we were alone, I muttered to Henry, "Enjoy the powdered wig, Navy boy."

"You're one to talk, Admiral's daughter."

I snickered, then looked up at him. "Can we both agree to stay as far away from that one as possible?"

"Agreed," he retorted. I turned to leave, but Henry tarried behind to tear the Jack Sparrow posting off the board, shoving it into his pocket. "Best take down as many of these as we can, eh?"

"Good thinking," I said.

He then took a deep breath. "Well, shall we continue our search?"

"Aye…" I said, my eyes scanning the passersby for our next victim to be questioned about Galileo's diary. "How about there? By those men constructing that bank building?"

* * *

We asked, and searched, and wandered, and asked, and searched, and wandered, and asked, and searched, and ceaselessly wandered until we were certain we had rounded the entire island. For three months, it stayed that way. We slept in the _Dauntless_ by night, feasted off of our cargo until the supply had been depleted, then finally had to resort to buying food from the town with our already limited pocket change.

What was the most dangerous was that our spirits were sinking faster than ever. Three months into our journey, and the fruit of our efforts were just as nonexistent as they had been upon the time of our leaving Shipwreck. Worst of all, I began to grow increasingly homesick with every passing day. In that time, I had turned 15 years old, and I ached for the comfort of home. I still felt incredibly guilty at leaving my mother, and I longed to feel her assuring embrace once more. There were days I would awaken, stare down into the ocean, and lean my hand over, my fingertips just a few inches away from the surface. How quickly would it be to just let my skin make contact? My mother would be aboard the _Dauntless_ instantly. Maybe she would be so impressed with how Henry and I had worked together that she would help us in our journey, instead of making us go home.

But I would immediately realize this to be wishful thinking and retract my hand back away from the water. Of course Mother would make us return to Shipwreck. She would be livid. We might not even be permitted _outdoors_ again, let alone on the sea. So? We kept searching for the diary, to no avail.

After yet another unsuccessful day, Henry and I walked back to the docks, defeated. I was staring down at my feet popping out from beneath the dirty skirt of my only dress with every step I took. It took me a few paces to realize that Henry had stopped dead in his tracks. I looked back, then followed his horrified gaze as I saw that at the docks, the Royal Navy was aboard the _Dauntless_ , tying it to a larger frigate to be towed away.

Our ship, our home, was gone.


	102. The Anna Diaries - 9 - The Locket

"HEY!" Henry shouted at the officers, racing at full speed towards our boat. "That's ours! Unhand it at once!"

The two officers aboard just shared a glance and laughed. I was right on Henry's heels, my face flushed in fury. "We paid for this vessel ourselves and as its owner, we demand to know why you are stealing it!"

The taller of the two narrowed his eyes, challenging us. "Have you been _paying_ to have your 'vessel' tied up here?" he asked condescendingly.

Henry and I looked at each other, furious at ourselves for not knowing this to be a regulation at these docks.

"Exactly," the other officer replied. "So, who _really_ has been doing the stealing, eh?"

I marched to the edge of the dock, shouting, "We're just innocent fishermen! Can't you let us be? We can pay off our debt!" All of this was a lie, but it was worth a shot.

"Nay, lass," said the first. "Worry not, your boat'll be put to good use. It's needed up North. Talks of an uprising in the American colonies."

"And what on Earth will a fishing boat do to settle an uprising?" Henry spat.

The men looked at each other once more, having clearly not thought this excuse out. Finally, the second answered, "Blokes gotta eat, don't they?" They then both let out a hearty guffaw of riotous laughter.

I was seething. So furious, frustrated and desperate was I that without thinking, I procured my pistol from the pocket lining under my dress and had it aimed right at our boat, with the intention to shoot a hole in it to sink it. If we couldn't have it, I reasoned, _no one_ could!

"Anna, stop!" Henry shouted, hitting my arm downwards before I could shoot. But it was too late—the men had already seen my rash action.

"HEY!" they shouted, leaping off of the _Dauntless_ and back onto the docks, their bayonets pointed right into our chests. "PUT THE GUN DOWN! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

I grudgingly obeyed, being without a choice. I then stood back up, my hands raised in surrender.

"Well done," Henry spat at me, sending me fuming.

"How very bold of you 'innocent fishermen' to threaten officers of the Crown. What are your names?" the taller officer questioned.

"Henry Turner," Henry replied through gritted teeth.

I hesitated. "Turner" was a general enough name for Henry to use without raising suspicion. Not many people knew the lore of the shipwrecked blacksmith orphan of Port Royal who grew up to become one of the most powerful immortal pirates in the entire ocean. The name "Swann" was another matter entirely. But my name, "Norrington," would instantly trigger chaos, as my father was a renowned Navy traitor. Undoubtedly, these men would know that name and have questions about me sharing it. "Anna…James," I finally told them.

I saw Henry flash me a bewildered look out of the corner of my eyes, but I paid him no mind.

"Hmm," the officer replied snootily. "Alright, Turner, Miss James. You are lucky that I am going to let you go instead of turning you to the cells at once. Having lost your ship should teach you a lesson or two."

They lowered their bayonets, then turned to hop back aboard the _Dauntless,_ now fully ready to be led away from us. I reached down to grab my pistol, but the shorter officer made me freeze in the middle of doing so. "Ah ah ah," he scolded, scooping it out of my grasp. "A gun like this doesn't belong in the hands of a little lady. I'll be keeping it as well." My heart twisted in my chest. The gun, the beautiful gun I had been given from my mother, the gun that Elizabeth had taught me how to use, the gun that had convinced me that I was powerful…was gone forever. I wanted to scream, rush the man and snatch it back, but Henry's grip on my forearm reminded me that this was not possible. We waited until the _Dauntless_ and my gun had disappeared from our line of vision before speaking.

Henry began with, "Anna James? _Really_?"

"Well let's consider my options," I hissed. "If I said 'Norrington,' I would have been arrested, if I said 'Hexfury,' I would have been laughed at, and if I said 'Teague,' I would have been _killed._ James will do!"

"You could have said, 'Turner!'"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yes, like _we'd_ pass for brother and sister. And I refuse to go through the husband-wife bit again."

"Why did you have pull that stunt with your gun?" Henry asked. "Now they have our names, well, _my_ name, your gun, and our boat!"

"The boat was not my fault!" I protested.

"No, but now we are without transport! We can't leave this godforsaken island!"

I took a shallow breath, tears coming to my eyes. "Henry, what are we going to do? I can't defend myself, we can't go anywhere, we can't even _feed_ ourselves!" I procured our newly empty coin purse, throwing it on the ground in defeat. I looked up at him, my eyes searching his for answers. Finally, I asked, "Was…was this all a mistake? Should I just touch the water? What do we do?"

"No," he replied instantly. "We've come this far, we aren't giving up now." He looked at me, his gaze unwavering as he said, "We're going to find a way out of this."

* * *

"This is the stupidest idea you've had yet," I spat as he laid a tin can down at my feet.

"Would you _like_ to starve?" he retorted.

I glared at him, taking my mother's locket off my neck and shoving it into his chest. "You like the idea so much, _you_ sing for money!"

He handed the locket back to me, saying, "It won't work if I do it. If you beg, you'll be arrested. But show off a talent? Then what you make, you're _earning_. You're a girl, hungry and alone, singing for her wages and stationed outside a tavern with drunken patrons with heaps of extra money coming and going regularly. It's foolproof!"

I sneered, "Clearly it's not _fool_ proof, for here you stand." I looked up to take pleasure in his annoyed reaction, but my eyes followed a uniformed Naval officer standing a few paces away in a doorway. "Henry," I said, my voice low. "The officer, standing beneath the crooked awning over your right shoulder."

He quickly looked over, took notice of him, then looked back. Quietly, he said, "What about him?"

"He's been following us all afternoon." My eyes searched his as I asked, "You don't think that they're from the docks, do you?" I looked up again, but found the officer to be completely gone. "He left!" I exclaimed. "I bet he saw us take notice of him. What if he's after us?"

"Oh I don't doubt he is after your little demonstration today," Henry said with pursed lips. "I'll keep an eye out. I'm not afraid to dispatch him if necessary. But for now," he said, lightly nudging the can closer to me with the toe of his boot, "You owe me one. So sing."

I rolled my eyes, finally giving in. "Fine, I'll be your performing monkey. But _never again,_ mark my words!"

Henry smiled. "There we go! Now, as long as you're settled…" he then turned to leave, walking towards the center of the street.

"Hold on a moment," I protested. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I need to secure a place for us to sleep tonight, don't I?" he replied.

"So you're just going to leave me here without a weapon at nighttime with a Naval officer stalking us! What is the matter with you?"

"Anna," Henry argued. "This is a busy part of town. I won't go far. If you run into danger, anyone within the tavern will be sure to help you, and I'll come running, I promise."

I fumed at the thought of being at someone else's mercy. But I had to remind myself that the reason I _was_ at someone else's mercy was because I had been the one to lose my temper and then my only weapon. So, I finally agreed, though Henry could still sense that I was uncomfortable.

"Listen," he said, "If we ever get separated for a time, let's always agree to meet back in this part of town, by the docks, alright? I promise I shall wait for you, but if it's me who has been taken, wait for as long as your able, but don't be afraid to touch the water and have Rose take you home, alright? I can finish the job on my own."

I snorted. "Absolutely not. If you're staying, I'm staying."

"Alright, so be it," he conceded. "Stay here, I'll be back in a bit." And with that, he disappeared into the night.

Tentatively, I unlatched the locket as its tune began to cut through the silence of the night. I took a deep breath, sighing at how ridiculous my situation had become as I began to quietly sing along with the lyrics I had known since I was young.

 _Cruel and cold like winds on the sea,  
_ _Till the day he returns to me,  
_ _Ten long years we'll wait to go by,  
_ _Our love will never die._

I sang the song three times in a row before a drunken patron leaving the noisy tavern dropped a shilling in my can. Impressed, I rewound the locket and kept singing. After awhile, some of the drunks had moved their conversations outside to listen to my performance, pay me, and carry on in their festivities while I sang. Eventually, I grew tired of the same four lines and began to come up with new ones.

 _Over waves and deep in the blue,  
_ _I will give up my heart for you,  
_ _Ten long years we'll wait to go by,  
_ _Our love will never die._

 _Play the song you sang long ago,  
_ _And wherever the storm may blow,  
_ _You will find the key to my heart,  
_ _We'll never be apart._

In an hour, I had made about two pounds, which wasn't much but at least was more than nothing. Singing and rewinding the locket eventually became habit, and I stopped thinking about what I was doing and just kept going while my mind was elsewhere. So preoccupied was I, however, that it took me awhile to notice the gruff looking man sipping at a flask standing in the doorway of the tavern, eyeing me. How long had he been standing there? Was he too a Naval officer out to get us? I sang a few more rounds, but suddenly grew very unnerved at the man's unwavering stare. I picked up the can, emptying its contents into my empty gun holster within my dress, then rounded the corner behind the tavern to wait until Henry returned.

My heart began to pound, however, when I heard footsteps behind me. I altogether panicked when I glanced over my shoulder and saw that same gruff man pursuing me.

I spun around, my hands in the air in surrender. "I don't know what you want, but leave me be! All I have to do is scream and any number of people will come to my aid!"

"No need for that, missy," he replied, continuing to come forward towards me. "All I wish to know is where you got that locket, lass."

I gulped. _No, not this too,_ I thought. _I've already lost one token from my mother today, I will not lose the other. "_ I…I stole it," I lied.

But this was the wrong answer, for the man then procured his pistol and aimed it right at me. "Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal it from _you_ , then."

My heart fell into my stomach. I clutched the locket and my father's ring tighter. "No! It's mine!"

"You just said you stole it! It's worth more to me than it is to you, lass, I assure you that."

"I will not let this go!" I insisted. "If it's my money that you want, take it! But the locket stays here with me!"

The man, to his credit, was understanding. "If it's money or food you're worried about, I can supply you that. Just relinquish the locket, eh? Before someone gets hurt."

Noticing his capability for compassion, I opted to try to appeal to what small amount of kindness he could show me by telling him the truth. "…I didn't steal it, alright? It's…my mother's."

"Ah, and _she_ stole it, did she?" he asked.

"No! It was given to her!"

But he looked utterly unconvinced. "By who?"

 _The sea goddess, Calypso,_ was the answer, but I dared not say that lest this man toss me into a cell for deranged lunacy at once. "…I cannot tell you," I said.

He snorted. "Precisely. There's but one person with a locket like that on this Earth, and _she_ is the rightful owner, not you. The woman who owns that locket would never freely give it away to anyone." He clicked the barrel of his gun, sending shivers down my spine. "Hand it over, final warning."

But I was alarmed by his words. "You…you know her? Who are you?"

"Nay, lass. The question is who are _you_?"

I was conflicted. If this man knew of my father's previous treachery, I could be damning myself. But then again, how else would it be revealed if he knew my family? How else could I keep the locket? "…Anna…Norrington," I said.

The man's eyes grew as wide as saucers. Clearly, he knew of whom I spoke. "Norrington? The English Norringtons? Are you related to Lawrence Norrington?"

I cringed as I hesitantly replied, "He's my grandfather, yes."

"And who be your father? Thomas?"

"James."

"James?"

I threw my hands up higher in defense. "But I don't know him! I never have! His sins are his and his alone! Leave me be!"

"But then…who be your mother?"

I sighed, finally letting it slip out. "Rose Hexfury."

"WHAT?" he roared. "…h…how? She's dead…he's dead…and they…had a child? _Together_?"

"It would take too long to explain," I said. "They are married. Or…they were. I'm not certain anymore…" I shook myself from the thought and continued, "I was the product. But my mother is the rightful owner of this locket. I cannot give it up!"

"To her was precisely where I was to take it," he replied, lowering his gun finally. "First hand it over to Jack, then find her."

My mouth fell agape. "Jack? Jack Sparrow? You know him?"

He scoffed, "Sadly, yes. The name's Joshamee Gibbs."

"Gibbs!" I gasped. "My god, I've heard so much about you!"

He smiled with a knowing nod. "Sailed beneath your grandfather, your father, _and_ currently with your Uncle, so yes, I suppose ya would." He then took a moment, sighing, "Mother's mercy, I feel bloody old."

I grinned. "You sail with Jack? Where is he now? I have to see him at once!"

Gibbs hesitated, as though to counter my request, but wasn't able to complete his thought, as just then, as though materializing out of the sky, Henry leapt off the roof of the tavern and directly in front of me, his sword pointed square Gibbs, who raised his gun once more at the sudden maneuver. They now were facing off, sword against gun, but Henry seemed undeterred.

"Back away!" he ordered. "Leave her alone and be on your way! I'll run you through, I swear it!"

"Um, Henry?" I said, tapping him on the shoulder. "Meet Master Gibbs, the one your mother speaks so often about."

He furrowed his brow, looking closer at Gibbs, and then to me for corroboration. "Yes," I said. "Thanks for rescuing me in such a timely manner, by the way. _So_ helpful."

Henry sheathed his sword and walked forward to shake Gibbs's hand. "Sir," he said, "Henry Turner. I thank you for your service to my family."

Gibbs looked utterly bewildered. " _Turner?_ You're not Elizabeth Swann's boy?"

"He is!" I exclaimed. "We're third generation Turners and Norringtons, and we need Jack's help!"

"He still sails with Jack?" Henry asked me. He then turned to him. "Sir, where is he now?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Gibbs replied. "He and the crew set off to sack a vessel to claim as their own."

Crestfallen, I said, "Jack still hasn't freed the _Black Pearl,_ then."

Gibbs shook his head. "Nay. And our last vessel was commandeered by the bloody Navy, the perfidious rotters." He then grimaced and looked at me apologetically. "…no offense, Miss Norrington."

"None taken," I replied with a shrug.

"Ours was taken as well," Henry responded. "Do you know when Jack will be back?"

"And wait," I added, "Why aren't you with them?"

"I elected to sit this one out, as I was nearly killed on the last one of these missions," Gibbs explained, the slightest bit of resentment lining his tone. "They're coming back for me…oh, Lord knows when."

"We need to speak with him at once!" Henry insisted. "Our families are in danger."

"I pity ya, lad, I really do," Gibbs replied sympathetically, "But until Jack returns, I'm no help to you whatsoever. And to be quite frank," he added, "I'm not certain that even Jack will be a help to you whatsoever."

"Perhaps not in this way," I said, "But what about something else entirely? We seek the Map No Man Can Read. Have you heard of it?"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, but ultimately shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Captain Barbossa gave it to someone we believe is on this island. It will help get us what we need."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "And so you've already asked Barbossa, I presume?"

Henry and I looked at each other in alarm. "You mean, he's _here_? On St. Martin?" he asked.

"Since takin' the _Queen Anne's Revenge,_ he's frequented these parts. I heard lore he's back to restock several from his fleet at the Northern docks."

"Fleet?" I asked. "Barbossa has a fleet of ships now?"

"Oh aye," Gibbs sighed. "The peg-legged knave practically has the entire ocean under his grimy thumb."

I grabbed Henry by the shoulders in excitement, crying, "Oh but this is perfect! To be so close!"

Henry looked skeptical, however, which confused me, but Gibbs interjected. "Well if you haven't already seen 'im, I wouldn't recommend it."

"Why not?" I asked.

"You lot are Teagues and Turners. If I were to go aboard begging to join his crew, he'd string me up with that magic sword of his just for shakin' the hand of Jack Sparrow, let alone being his first mate for two decades!"

Henry narrowed his eyes. "But I thought he officiated my parents' marriage…"

Gibbs cocked his head to the side, "Aye, but if you think pirates are a sentimental lot, lad, then you don't know 'em at all."

Henry still looked uncertain, and then said, "Master Gibbs, would you mind if I speak to Anna alone? We have to discuss our next course before we implore your help any longer."

"Of course, son."

"Where can we find you if we should need you again?" he asked.

Gibbs sighed, "Oh, the tavern. Seems like I'm always there."

We agreed to come back to him with a plan shortly, and as he wandered back into the tavern I heard him mutter under his breath, "'Third generation…' Pssh! Slap me thrice and drown me in a bucket…"

We waited until he was gone until we spoke, and I was the first to express my excitement. "I cannot believe we ran into Master Gibbs!"

Henry looked awestruck. "Most assuredly. This helps our situation immensely!"

"I know! Our next course of action is so apparent now!"

Then, we both at the same time spoke what we each thought the next course of action was, but were alarmed to find that we were not in agreement.

"Sail with Jack!" Henry exclaimed.

"See Barbossa!" I cried.

"…what?" we both said to each other in unison.

"Did you not just hear Gibbs? Barbossa will retaliate if we show ourselves!"

"Are you completely moronic?!" I retorted. "Barbossa is the one who knows where the diary is!"

Henry shook his head. "Barbossa only knows as much as where he _gave_ that diary. From there, he knows nothing!"

"Won't that narrow down our search even slightly? There's no trident without the map!"

"And there's no rescuing our fathers without _us!_ " Henry chirped briskly. "Why wouldn't you want to see Jack immediately? He's your uncle!"

"Of course I want to see him immediately! I want to _meet_ my uncle, let alone see him! But how will Jack possibly help us find the diary?"

"He'll help us _at all,_ Anna! You're his niece! Gibbs is right: Barbossa holds no sympathy or personal favors for either of us." He threw his hands up in the air and stormed away, seeing how stubbornly I was attached to my plan. "Fine!" he shouted. "Do as you please, but don't blame me when you're suddenly his captive just as my mother once was! _I'm_ going to tell Gibbs that I'm with him. Wherever Jack sails, I sail!"

"Henry," I said, trying to reason with him as he marched away from me.

But it was too late. Not only had Henry made up his mind, but he would never get back to the tavern to tell Gibbs of his plan, for just then, the Naval officer that had been following us lie in waiting around the corner and hit Henry over the head with a club as he passed, knocking him unconscious immediately. Three other men grabbed his arms and legs, and began to carry him down the street.

"HENRY!" I screamed, racing after them. I threw myself at full force at the man holding his right arm, though my punches did little to nothing. "Let him go!" I cried. "He did nothing wrong! It's me! _I'm_ the one you want!"

The men stopped, looked at one another and started laughing. "Oh I highly doubt that," the one who I had hit chuckled. "Press gang, lass. Your friend here's joining the Navy!"

I blinked. So, these men weren't sent by the men I had threatened that afternoon…that could only mean… _Scarfield!_ He had wanted Henry for the Navy since he first laid eyes on him. Had he ordered us to be followed this entire time?

The men began walking away, Henry's head bobbing with every step taken.

"But…you can't do that!" I called after them.

"Can't we?" the stalking officer spat.

I raced to attack once again, but the stalker used his free hand to produce his pistol, forcing me to stay frozen as they eventually disappeared out of sight. I then raced through the alleyways to the docks, trying to find a way aboard, but it was too late. By the time I got to the docks, the gang plank had already been pulled and the ship was setting sail. In the darkness, I could only barely make out the name of the ship. _The Monarch._

There was nothing to be done. Without my gun, I couldn't stop the men from taking Henry away. Without the _Dauntless,_ I couldn't pursue them. I was alone on a foreign island. I watched as my friend sailed further and further from me. How would he react when he awoke and found himself in an entirely knew place? Would he try to get back to me, or would he trust in my abilities and continue his search for the trident by other means? I wished I could have predicted his next move.

I walked back to the tavern, disheartened. Such a long amount of time had passed that Gibbs had left the tavern, and I had no idea where he went. Defeatedly, I sat with my back pressed up against the wall of the tavern and hugged my knees into my chest. Sleep didn't come easily to me, sitting outside in the cold of the night. But when the morning sun did come and the locals began to stir, I found myself faced with a choice. It was the same choice Henry had presented to me:

Touch the water, summon Rose and go home, or stay.

…not only would I stay, but I was going to take part in my original plan.

"Take that, Henry," I whispered with a smile. "I'm going to see Barbossa whether you like it or not."


	103. The Anna Diaries - 10 - Barbossa

It took me most of the day to walk from the south side of the island to the north. But when I finally did and located the docks, I instantly knew which vessel was the _Queen Anne's Revenge,_ for it was the most ornate, grandiose ship I had ever seen in my life. If there was anything I knew about Barbossa from the stories my mother and Elizabeth would tell me, it was that he loved his treasure.

I swallowed my apprehension and tried my best not to be intimidated by its ornate, gilded decor as I took a step on the gangplank.

Two men, one in a green coat and the other in a red coat stepped in front of my path, blocking my progress.

"HOLD IT!" the one in the red coat cried, eyeing me up in down. "This dock is off limits to…hoodlums."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "…alright. Good thing I'm not a hoodlum, then. I wish to speak to your captain."

"Not just _anyone_ speaks with our cap'n, miss," the green coat said.

"Aye," said the other. "Run along, shoo!"

I sidestepped him in annoyance. "I'm not just _anyone_! I come on very important business!"

"Oh aye, spilled tea on your dress, did ya?" the red coat laughed.

"It's a matter of life and death!" I shouted. "If you don't help me, the seas will turn, and then we're all doomed!"

The red coat held up a defensive hand. "Whoa, whoa, calm yourself, lass. What's your name?"

"And no lies," the other chimed in.

Once again, I was faced with a decision on whether or not to tell these men the truth of my name. But ultimately, I decided that full disclosure was key, as it stood the best chance of getting Barbossa speak with me. "Anna Norrington."

The men looked at one another, eyes wide. "I said no lies!" repeated the green coat.

I sighed in exasperation. Yet another man bewildered by my father's existence. "Yes, as in James Norrington. You knew him?"

"We…we were his men!" the green coat stammered. "Years ago, we…we were on the _Dutchman!_ We saw him die! He was stabbed! We watch his body get thrown to the depths!"

These men were former Navy beneath my father? I felt excitement grow within me. In just the span of two days, I had met three new people who knew my father better than I did. Despite seemingly…mixed reactions about him, the notion was intriguing. But if these two watched him die…that meant that they were partially responsible for his death. So, I decided to have a bit of fun playing mind tricks on these two, who seemed very easily swayed. "Oh _now_ I know who you are…" I began, standing straighter. "You were two of the men who then served beneath Mr. Mercer. You _let_ James Norrington get stabbed and thrown to the depths, didn't you?" I waited until I saw guilt reflect in their expressions before I said, "Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but… he survived. I'm his daughter. He's rejoined the Navy. And…he's been looking for you turncoats to seek out his revenge ever since. He's not far from here, you know. If you want me to pretend this never happened, you will allow me counsel with your Captain."

They only stared at me, brows furrowed, until the green coat leaned over to the red and whispered, "…I think she might be telling the truth."

Before I knew it, I was aboard, sidestepping the various other crewmen resupplying the ship. The green coat and red coat argued for a time as to who was going to retrieve Barbossa from his cabin, but finally, the green coat ended up staying with me while the other fetched their Captain.

We stood at the center of the deck facing the cabin doors, just…waiting. I opened my mouth to make simple conversation with the green coat, when all of a sudden the French doors to the cabin burst open. The red coat came scurrying out and down the stairs to join his friend, as a loud _thunk, thunk, thunk_ echoed and reverberated in the floorboards. All commotion on deck ceased entirely as all the men froze in place and cast their eyes downwards. I alone faced the door, my eyes peeled to catch sight of my family's famous foe.

Finally, a man with a worn face, piercing eyes, a grandiose wig, and a peg leg emerged from the inner depths of his cabin. Surely, this was none other than Hector Barbossa.

I fell into a curtsey. "Captain Barbossa," I began, "Your reputation precedes you, sir. Thank you for welcoming me aboard your…powerful vessel."

Barbossa descended the stairs carefully, one step at a time, then approached me, his eyes scanning me up and down as he said, "What be your name, girl?"

"Anna. Anna Norrington." I couldn't help but notice the slightest twinge of disappointment cross his face at my saying this, and I wondered if I had made a horrible mistake.

The green coat, from behind me, whispered to his Captain, "Her father's our former employer!"

Barbossa snapped, "I know who he is!" He took a moment, seemingly to swallow the disappointment, but after awhile, he brightened, saying, "The last time a nobleman's daughter was aboard my ship, t'wasn't by her own accord. A girl who dares cross a pirate ship be offering something. What be you offering, girl?"

"A dire warning," I said earnestly. "The seas are in great danger."

Barbossa snorted. "The only danger on these seas come from me and my fleet, don't it, lads?" To this, all the men cried out in celebration at once, then quickly fell silent in unison once more.

"I don't doubt your prowess, sir," I said, "But I must protest. You and your men are in very grave danger when on the sea. _All_ of us are."

He raised an eyebrow. "I appreciate the pleasantries, but I've got a sea witch on my side. On this very isle, in fact. If I was in danger, certainly I would hear it from her first."

"As do I. Maybe you've heard of her," I proceeded with caution, knowing full well that this could be the end of our discussion right here: "Rose Hexfury?"

Sure enough, Barbossa's nostrils flared in annoyance. "Aye. And? What babble be she spreading?"

"Nay, sir," I replied. "She's the heir to Calypso. She has inherited her powers over the sea." I gulped. "…and I'm her daughter."

Barbossa rolled his eyes and groaned. "To the depths! More blasted Teagues come to plague me. You ruined it, lass. I almost was taking a shinin' to you." He took a moment, laying a blackened fingernail against his chin, considering something. "Yer not as annoying as your relatives, however… Yet isn't this interesting…a Teague with a nobleman's name. Bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing, you are." He narrowed his eyes, instantly turning from someone I felt I could possibly trust to my biggest threat. "So I am to believe that Miss Hexfury has sent you here to plead with me to 'stay off the seas.' Mmm. Sparrow behind this?"

I instantly had to defend myself. "I've never met my uncle," I protested.

"Then why the ruse, lass?"

The green coat leaned over to the red coat, muttering, "…told you she wasn't telling the truth."

"There's no ruse!" I argued. "This is real!"

Barbossa's eyes gleamed in fury. "A Teague just _happens_ to show up on my vessel, showerin' her cap'n with complements and genuflection, politely imploring me to stay beached."

"That's not—"

"Why? Sparrow planning an attack, is he?"

"No!"

"Miss Norrington, I never met your father," he said, "But I've heard he's shrewd. Clearly, he's clever enough to have escaped death itself, it would seem. You seem fairly shrewd yerself." He then pulled out Blackbeard's former cutlass from its sheath, lightly brushing his fingertips against the sharp metal. "So ye best start telling what be yer family's plans."

All of a sudden, the ship seemed to come alive, rope moving towards me from all directions and slithering around me like a snake. I struggled against it, but it was no use. Soon, I was entirely bound.

"What's say you, gents?" Barbossa said. "Shall we toss 'er overboard?" They all cheered in response.

 _NO!_ I thought, knowing that my mother would end my journey if that were to happen. "Captain, my father _is_ dead!" I insisted, struggling harder to wriggle from my bondage.

"SEE?! I told you!" the green coat said, slapping his friend in the arm with the back of his hand.

"You fought Jones in the War on Piracy, you know that William Turner took the wheel after Jones! My father was given a servitude by Turner but they were captured by an unknown evil! All they've told us is that whoever's keeping them is a threat to everyone on the sea. It is with Will and Elizabeth Turner's son, Henry that I sailed here! Please! We but seek our fathers! And we need is your help to do it!"

Barbossa raised an eyebrow at this. "Turner, eh? And where be the young Turner boy now?"

"Press ganged by the Navy," I croaked, choking against the tightness of the rope. "But…but he's plotting a way back and when he does, we will plan to make sail to finish the job!"

Barbossa gave a wide, yellow-toothed grin. "Ah…lads, the curse is indeed effective!" he said to his crew, who all laughed menacingly.

Curse? What curse? …all of a sudden, I realized. Barbossa used Tia Dalma to make life easier for himself. With this new witch he spoke of…could he have done the same? "Did you curse my family?" I asked. He only grinned wider at me. "You bastard!" I shouted. "This is all YOUR doing?"

He sliced his cutlass close to my face, causing me to flinch. "Careful now, Miss Norrington. Remember—I was beginning to like your spirit. Best not get carried away, now. My source set a curse upon all my enemies…as your mother, uncle and I were never exactly, _friendly,_ I suppose the curse's bounds include them as well." After a moment of consideration, he said, "So…yes, I suppose this _is_ my doing!"

I sneered, struggling against the rope harder. "MY MOTHER SAVED YOU! You owe our family a debt!"

"I let your family _live,_ therefore I owe your family nothin'!" He took a moment, then grinned evilly again. "So, if that'll be all…" Suddenly, my feet left the ground as the rope began to hoist me upwards and out towards the open ocean.

I struggled harder, then finally shouted out, "My mother gave you a book! Galileo Galilei's journal?" Barbossa stopped the ropes, bringing me back down to the deck. Breathless, I wheezed, "We know you came here first. All I need to know is where the journal is. It leads to the Trident of Poseidon, sir! That will break all sea curses."

Barbossa looked jarred. Clearly, he knew of what I spoke. But, he quickly recovered, saying, "Well…if it breaks _all_ curses, shouldn't be in my best interest to help ya find it, now should it?"

"Have you no heart whatsoever?" I asked. "My father is being _tortured_! Captain Teague, my grandfather _died_ trying to save him!" I saw Barbossa visibly look taken aback with this piece of information. I continued, "You said you like me…don't do it for the Turners, or the Teagues, help _me! …_ I can serve aboard your ship. I am a capable marksman!"

Barbossa and the crew laughed merrily at that, which made me livid. I wanted nothing more than a gun to prove my worth to them and shut them right up.

"Lass," Barbossa finally said, "There's no place for ye here. I pity yer plight. Teague's demise is…regrettable. But if there's nothing in it for us, there's nothing more we can do for you."

He let the ropes finally release me, and as I breathed a sigh of relief, I looked up to notice that he was walking away from me.

"Just tell me where the diary is!" I called after him, causing him to stop. "You don't have to do a thing!"

He looked as though he was considering my offer, until he said, "But if it breaks our string of good fortune, we will have already done too much. So…what diary?" My heart sank. "Apologies, Miss Norrington," he said. "You're free to go ashore. _But,_ if you or any of your family tries sacking us, you'll be rejoined with your father in eternal damnation, understood?" I gave a slight nod, though I felt utterly defeated. My one and only hope had failed me.

Barbossa then turned his attention back to his crew, shouting out, "Back to work, ya poxy cur!" They all leapt into action once more, working at twice the speed they had originally been functioning at.

Deflated, I turned to go, but Barbossa caught my arm in a tight grip before I could depart. "Search the island," he said quietly. "If it can't be found here, then it's gone."

My hopes soared. He meant the diary! He was giving me a hint as to where it was after all! "We have," I protested. "My mother searched first years ago, then Henry and I have scoured the island for months. We've found nothing."

Barbossa's eyes were sorrowful at this news as he said softly, "…then it's gone."

I shook my head. "Who did you give it to, sir?"

He was silent, his eyes darting between mine as though he was bargaining with himself to tell me. Finally, he shouted, "Murtogg! Mullroy! Escort Miss Norrington back to the docks."

I let out a breath in disappointment as I allowed myself to be led away by the red coat and green coat, now revealed to be called Murtogg and Mullroy. As I began my trek back to the southern shores of St. Martin, I revisited all I had learned from that rather unsuccessful voyage. So…the diary _had_ been here at one point, but was no longer. Henry had been proven to be right after all—Barbossa's help ended there. The diary was lost.

As I entered the town once more, I had resolved to find Gibbs. If Henry had been right about Barbossa, then that must mean that he was right about Gibbs as well. I had no other option but to ask for his help, meet my Uncle Jack, and implore him for his help.

Before I could go about finding Gibbs, however, I turned a corner and was knocked to the ground by someone running with all their might who had collided into me. So jostled and disoriented was I that as I struggled to get up, I didn't notice that this person had tried to keep going until my neck was yanked forward abruptly. The person who had run into me was a woman wearing a light blue dress, and her dark hair had gotten caught in my mother's locket.

She flipped the rest of her hair out of her eyes as she looked up at me. Her crystal blue eyes took me aback, as she said breathlessly, "Little help?"

"Um, of course, sorry," I stammered, trying to free her black, curly hair from the contours of the silver crab.

Suddenly, voices came from behind us, nearing closer.

"No," she muttered. "They're gaining on me!" She panicked, pulling against the locket in the hopes of ripping her caught hair out.

"Wait! Stop!" I protested.

"You don't understand!" she yelled at me. "I have to get out of here!"

Suddenly, I recognized her face. "Wait a moment…you're the witch they're after, aren't you?"

Her eyes went wide, and she began pulling against me more forcefully.

"NO!" I cried. "Wait, stop, I'm on your side!"

She stopped struggling, looking at me again. "…you are?" she asked, uncertainly.

The voices and footsteps of the approaching Navy were drawing nearer.

"Give me your necklace," she ordered. "Unclasp it. I'll make sure I return it to you."

Though I didn't think she was deserving of her persecution, I didn't know her well enough to trust her. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"Please? I promise!"

"I cannot, I'm sorry," I insisted.

We both looked in horror as the Navy rounded the corner, then wordlessly be both took of in a full sprint, together in stride with one another, connected by locket and lock of hair. We darted into a small opening between buildings, holding our breath as we watched the officers dart right past us on the main road.

We waited until we felt the coast was clear. We then both breathed a sigh of relief, as I went back to work on untangling her hair from the crab.

"I believe a thank you is in order," she said. "They nearly had me that time."

I grinned. "I've been here for three months. I still can't believe you haven't been caught!"

She narrowed her eyes. "Thanks," she said with pursed lips.

"No," I protested, shaking my head in frustration at my poor word choice. "Not like that, I just mean that…I was rooting for you to get away." Finally, I managed to free the last bit of her hair from the crab's right claw. "There you go!" I said. "You're free to go!"

She gingerly rubbed her scalp from where the hair had been tugged, then thanked me, shaking my hand. She then climbed over me and walked back out into the street to make her escape, but was instantly surrounded on all sides by Naval officers with their bayonets pointed right at her. I stood in alarm. They must have seen us dart into the alley and were lying in wait for us to make our egress.

"Carina Smyth," Scarfield said, pushing through his men and shackling her wrists together. "You are convicted of witchcraft, will be tried, and likely hanged by the neck until dead."

Her blue eyes glared at my hiding place in the alley, but I was petrified to move, lest I be considered an accomplice and also sentenced for an execution trial. Scarfield followed her gaze, and my heart stopped beating momentarily in fear.

"Ah, yes. Come out, lass!" I tentatively stepped out of the shadows, trembling in fear, unknowing of what was about to come next. Shockingly, Scarfield laid a hand on my shoulder, saying, "Men, we owe a great deal of gratitude to this young woman for her role in capturing the witch, stalling her long enough for us to find and capture her. Well done, my girl!"

Carina gave a tight-lipped, furious half-smile as she said bitingly, "Aye. Well done," before she was led away.

I was left alone in the street, watching the Navy lead Carina Smyth away to her execution. I had inadvertently been to blame for her capture, and I felt horrible.

Once again, that horrible choice reared its head. Give up, and so in turn give up on my father and Will, or keep going and perhaps cause only more danger. Taking a deep breath, I knew there was only one thing to do. I raced to a tailor shop, waiting until the storeroom had been cleared for the day. I then snuck inside, stealing britches, a man's shirt, and a jacket. Next came a cobbler's for some boots. I cared not if I got stared at in the streets: It was time to be a pirate, not a lady.

In my new wear, I marched fearlessly through the streets, pushed open the door of the tavern, and walked right up to Joshamee Gibbs, sitting in a chair in the corner nursing a drink.

"Henry's been press ganged," I reported, pulling up a chair of my own. "Will Turner and James Norrington have been trapped beneath the sea for twelve years. They _shall_ be saved. Barbossa was a dead-end—"

"Coulda told you that—" Gibbs snorted.

" _And,_ " I said, jaw tight, "I need a ship, a crew, and a capable captain who will help me. I sail with you."

"You're to find none of that here I'm afraid, lass," he quipped. "Many things Jack is, but 'capable' he is not."

I scoffed in disbelief. "Are we speaking of the same person? Captain Jack Sparrow, the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean. The man who raised the _Black Pearl_ from the depths, the man who found the Fountain of Youth? The man who conquered death itself? If he's not 'capable,' then what is?"

"That man is gone now, missy. Jack hasn't had a spell of good fortune in at least five years. It began with the loss of the _Pearl,_ then the fiasco that was attempting to locate the Treasure of Macedonia and the gold of King Midas." He shook his head. "He's not been the same since."

I shook my head. "Wait, Barbossa mentioned a curse. He placed a curse upon his enemies. I believe he's to blame for my family's bad luck, wouldn't that also spell out yours as well?"

"Would surprise me," Gibbs said indifferently, tossing back his drink. "Doesn't make the situation any more peachy, does it though?"

I sighed. "Well, that matters not. We'll still have a ship and a crew."

"Listen, I pity your plight, I do," Gibbs conceded. "Turner's a good man and Norrington is…well, _I've_ never much been inclined to him, but I imagine he's got a pure heart." I pursed my lips at this, but continued listening. "It's not fair to you, what's happened, but you're at a standstill, just as we are. Whatever help you seek won't be found with Jack."

I sneered. "We'll see about that." Leaning forward, I muttered intently, "So do I make your crew, or not?"


End file.
